What to say in a letter
A blank card can feel like a lot of pressure. It helps to remember that the person reading it will not be grading your writing. They will be glad to hear from you. Here is how to begin, whoever it is for.
When you do not know how to start
Pick one of these and finish the sentence. You can delete the opening later.
- Right now, I am...
- The thing I never say out loud is...
- I want you to remember the day...
- When you read this, I hope...
- Something small I noticed about you lately...
Ideas for each kind of postcard
A letter to your future self
Describe an ordinary day as it is now: where you live, what you are working on, who you spend time with. Say what you are hoping for and what is worrying you. Then ask yourself two or three questions to answer when the postcard arrives. Finish with the advice you would want to hear.
More ideas for this postcardA letter to your child
Write what they are like at this age: the words they mispronounce, what they carry everywhere, what makes them laugh. Add one thing you hope for them and one thing you want them to know about how you feel. Keep it in your own voice. They will read it as an adult and hear you.
More ideas for this postcardA birthday message
Start with a specific memory instead of a general wish. Say why you are glad they were born, or what you have admired in them this year. A single true sentence does more than a page of greetings.
More ideas for this postcardAn anniversary message
Go back to the beginning: where you were, what you noticed first. Name one thing you are grateful for this year, then make one promise for the years ahead. Pair it with a photograph from early on.
More ideas for this postcardA graduation or first day of school note
Say what you have watched them work towards and one memory from the start of it. Tell them what you hope comes next, and that you are proud, in plain words.
More ideas for this postcardA Mother’s Day or Father’s Day card
Pick one moment with them you have never forgotten and tell it briefly. Add what they taught you, then thank them for it. Specific beats flowery.
More ideas for this postcardA family time capsule
Record what this year looked like: where you lived, what you loved, what was hard, what made you laugh. Add a prediction for the family a few years from now. A question for everyone to answer when it arrives gives the postcard a second life.
More ideas for this postcardA few things that help
- Write the way you speak. If you would not say it across a table, leave it out.
- Use names, places and small details. A nickname or a street means more than a general feeling.
- Say the thing you keep meaning to say. A postcard is a good excuse.
- Think about the day it arrives. Who will they be, and what will they want to hear?
- Keep it short. Your message can run to about 800 characters, which is a few short paragraphs, and the postcard preview shows you exactly how it will look.
- Read it aloud once before you schedule it.
Ready when you are. Each postcard is $7, printing and postage included, and you choose the mailing date.
Start your postcard