Life Skills
Letter Writing
Letter Writing
The ability to write good, thoughtful letters is a useful skill to have. In this post, I will not be going over business or formal letters, but rather the basic form of letters that you would send to a friend or family member.
To start your letter, it will need a date. The date will be in MM/DD/YEAR form (in the United States at least) at the top right corner of the paper you are using. It is common to say something like “Dear” before their name. Add a comma after their name. Other salutations you could use instead of Dear are:
Hello
Hi
Warm Greetings
To
Dear Friend
Choose up to the situation and context of your letter.
Skip a line before starting the main body of your letter. Writing a greeting or nicety is an easy way to begin. You can ask how they have been, or what they have been able to do recently. You can tell them something that you have done, and ask them questions about what they think about something or what they like to do. Make sure you even out what is in your letter. You do not want it to be all about you, but you also do not need to fill your letter solely with questions about them. It is okay to share something about yourself. Your letter can be long or short, there is no “right” length for a letter. Once you have said what you have wanted, you are good! Skip a line before the ending.
To end the letter, you should end with a closing/ending, comma, and your signature. If you have written your letter out by hand, make sure it is legible so that the recipient of the letter can be able to read it! If you have typed it out, print out your letter, grab a pen, and sign at the bottom. You can use closings such as:
Sincerely
Love
Best regards
Yours truly
Yours faithfully
Warm regards
With gratitude
Best wishes
Faithfully yours
Thank you
Your friend
Choose the one that best fits the tone and purpose of your letter. If you are typing the letter, skip three lines after the closing and type your name. Then sign your name with a pen above your printed name.
If you want to add a postscript; something a little extra, you should write “P.S.” then your message. You can add your initials afterward if you would like to. Write this a line under your signature. If you have several postscripts, keep adding a “p” to the P.S. so that it turns into P.P.S. Note: it is not P.S.S. because it is post-postscript, not postscript-script.
If you mention that you are going to send something with the letter, make sure you go and get the object so that you do not forget about it and unfortunately remember it about it later after you have sealed and sent the letter off.
To mail the letter, fold it and slip it in an envelope and seal it shut. You will write the addresses on the front of the envelope. The recipient’s (the person you are sending it to) will be in the middle of the envelope. In slightly large letters, write their first and last name, and under it, write their address. Your address as the sender goes in the top left corner written in small letters. The stamp goes in the top right corner. If you added something to your letter or it is really long with lots of pages, you may want to weigh it first, so you know how many stamps to put on the envelope. You can look up the weight to stamp ratio if you are unsure of how many stamps you will need.
Did you know:
An 11-year-old girl named Grace Bedell wrote to Abraham Lincoln, before he was president, suggesting that he grow a beard.
Ludwig van Beethoven regularly signed off ‘in der Eile’ which translates to “in a hurry.”
Emily Dickinson would send poems in her letters to family and friends.
September 1st is World Letter Writing Day, established in 2014 by Richard Simpkin.
In the United States, December 7th is National Letter Writing Day.
Make The Best First Impression
Someone walks up to you. They are well put together, they
smile, and introduce themselves. That someone is considerate,
courteous, and cordial. You are having a great time, getting to know
that person. Chances are that you have a good impression of who
they are. What is it that makes a great impression?
From afar, appearances can sometimes bias a person. Dressing
well for an occasion is important. Designer clothes aren’t needed to
look fabulous, but don’t wear you pajamas everywhere. You can be
neat and put together with simple clothes, and look great! Having a
great personal hygiene will help you look presentable just about
always. Just know that your appearance isn’t everything, how you
behave also gives an impression of who you are.
When you look presentable, not only do you feel great, but you
are showing the people around you that you care for yourself. As well
as, showing respect to them because you took whatever it was
seriously enough to look good for it, and people appreciate that.
Don’t judge a person solely on their looks. Just because people
shouldn’t be judging off looks, doesn’t mean you should look sloppy.
How you act, gives a true impression of you. People notice how
you present yourself right away, but when they talk to you, is when
they get a good impression of who you really are. A snob with a full
tailored outfit , isn’t going to impress someone as a modest, genteel
person would.
Keep good posture, your chin up, and smile! When you talk,
speak clearly and precisely, try to avoid filler words. Common ones
are “like,” “umm,” and “you know.” Keep cussing, and swear words
out of your language. The Bible says do not swear, and don’t take
God’s name in vain, that means to say God’s name when you are not
talking about him or to him. If you see someone who is lonely, walk
up to them, introduce yourself, and be a friend. When you go to give
somebody a handshake, don’t be limp like a jellyfish, or be be hard as
steel. Extend your hand fingers together, thumb up, grasp the other
person’s hand firmly and shake. Most importantly, be yourself. Don’t
try to make the other person assume you are someone other than
who you truly are.
I asked the Refuge Writing team: what did they see in people
that gave them a good first impression about somebody else, and
what their tip for a good first impression was. Some replies have been
put together because of similarity. Here is what they think:
What I see in other people that gives a good first impression is if they
are welcoming, kind, and not mean or disrespectful. When you make
an effort to include others it really stands out. My tip for others is to
be nice and welcoming! If you see someone who looks a little out of
place or alone, go up to them, start a conversation, and make them
feel included. You never know what someone is going through, and a
simple act of kindness can make a huge difference. Just to be
yourself, open, and friendly, can make others feel like they matter!
One thing that gives me a good first impression is when someone is
honest without caring what others thing. It gives a sense of honesty
to whoever they meet. Honesty is something I value a lot in people.
When you go to meet people you can find out what they like to do,
ask them questions, and above all be honest!
“I'd say one of the best ways to create a good first impression is
being very intentional about including them (whoever they are), and
forming a connection with them. When I first meet somebody I really
appreciate it if they choose to go after forming that sort of "bond."”
The LORD doesn’t look at a person’s appearance, but at their heart.
“But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on
the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD
seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance,
but the LORD looketh on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7 KJV)