Growing up it was instilled by my Mother to always write a handwritten Thank You Note after receiving a gift. I enjoy writing by hand and this was really never an issue. As the years pass I can say to this day I still correspond with one of my dearest friends, Michelle, who lives in California via handwritten cards and notes. Since we were in our twenties we wrote back and forth. I save all the letters and cards that tell the story of her marriage, her children and her life in chronological order. What’s funny is we both are in the software industry with easy access to email, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook etc. However, we both have kept up the Old Fashion Way and let me tell you, it is really nice to receive mail that is not a bill or solicitation.
My baby Spirit (a wonderful cat) just passed away. She was with our family for eighteen wonderful years. She was in three residences with us. She lived through three Presidents’ terms in office, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barrack Obama. She was alive when the Internet was once referred to as the World Wide Web and The Information Super Highway. She was with us when we became foster parents and eventually adopted our daughter. She was with us through good years and challenging years.
Spirit was the most beautiful cat we ever had. She loved to be outdoors. She was very tiny cat but if she wanted to go outside, you could not miss her super loud communication. Although she mainly was a daddy’s girl, she loved us all immensely. I thank my Higher Power that the night before she passed I decided to lay on the couch with her on my chest and pet her for hours as she purred and purred. Yes, I know that every creature with a heartbeat will pass on to another world. It still hurts and it is still hard. That is why; the handwritten note from my Vet’s Office the Saint Louis Cat Clinic signed by each team member meant so much to me. It went beyond customer service. It was well received. A cynical friend of mine said, “They probably do that for all their clients who lose their cat.” If they do, that is probably the most wonderful gesture and beautiful form of compassion that exists. I think everyone can benefit from a handwritten note.
