The Power of Paper

Let me start by saying that I live an almost paperless life... by choice.  It drives me insane.  I pay bills electronically, I cancel just about every publication I receive in the mail because it drives me batty, and I manage all of my projects at work electronically.  (Perhaps the lack of paper on my desk leads people to believe I'm not busy... I'll have to think that over.  Later.  I digress.)

There's one time though when I find that paper is pretty irresistible:  when it's from someone you like.  Just that simple.  And no, I'm not talking about "like like", although those are definitely nice.  I'm talking about friends, family, loved ones.

Anytime you can come across a piece of paper with a message from someone, it immediately takes you back to that time, warms your heart, makes you smile, or has some inevitable impact.

Last night, I got a message from a friend I used to work with at a restaurant.  He found his old server book, and in it was a poem I wrote one night about 11 or 12 years ago.  He was having a bad night (that happened to us all quite regularly in the restaurants!), so I wrote some ridiculous "Roses are red" kind of poem in the middle of dinner rush to brighten his spirits.  He shot me a message to let me know it still made him smile over a decade later.  You just can't get that with a text message.  (Trust me, I have a few text messages on my junky old phone I would love to keep, but I know they'll be lost forever once the memory fades.)  And although you can save an email, it just still doesn't have the same impact. 

I found - ok, who am I kidding, I always know where they are - pulled out some old letters and cards recently, and it was such a wonderful way to spend a few hours.  I had the chance to reflect on my life experiences, my relationships with those close to me, and all the twists and turns life has offered.  I was thankful to revisit those times, to realize who I was and who I have become, and overwhelmed to realize how fortunate I am to have people in my life who care about me the way they do.

In today's world of social media, texting, and electronic everything, take a moment to grab a pen and paper... or at least type it out and hit print ;-)... and jot down something silly, a note of appreciation, a heartfelt anything, slip it to someone, and hope that it brings them comfort and a smile years from now.