I received my first cell phone for my 16th birthday in 2013. Between getting my first smartphone and my driver's license, I felt like I had all the freedom in the world.
Like most teenagers, I spent hours every day:
- Texting friends
- Watching YouTube
- Playing games
If I’m being honest, I still spend plenty of time on technology today. It just looks different than it did back then.
What Happened When I Left My Phone Behind
A couple of years later, I went on my first church serve trip. We spent a week leading Vacation Bible School on a reservation in South Dakota, and our youth leader challenged us to leave our phones at home.
At first, that sounded terrible—what if we missed something back home?
Instead, life slowed down.
Without constant notifications competing for our attention, conversations became deeper. We laughed more. We spent more time outdoors. We became fully present with one another.
It became one of my favorite weeks of the year for the three years I was blessed to go.
More Than Ink on Paper
One activity during the week was simple: write handwritten notes to the other members of the team. It quickly became an unofficial challenge to write to everyone before the week ended.
These weren't strangers. They were my closest friends, basketball teammates, classmates, and people who had shaped my life. Writing those notes accomplished something texting never quite could.
It gave us permission to say the things we often leave unsaid.
Gratitude.
Appreciation.
Encouragement.
Sometimes it's surprisingly difficult to tell someone how much they mean to you. Sitting down with a pen and paper somehow makes those words easier to find.
Why Handwritten Notes Feel Different
I've kept every handwritten card and letter I've received from those serve trips and other meaningful moments in life. You can tuck it into a keepsake box and stumble across it years from now, instantly remembering the person who wrote it and the season of life you were in. That extra effort is something people notice.
Several years later, I took this belief to my career and made it a point to write notes to my students. I had a troubled student who decided it was best to transfer to another school. His mother later called our principal with mostly negative feedback.
However, he still had a letter I had written to him the previous year hanging in his bedroom.
The note took me about five minutes to write.
More than a year later, it was still encouraging someone who needed it.
You Never Know Who Needs Your Words
Handwritten notes don’t have to be reserved for weddings, graduations, or retirement parties. Some of the most meaningful notes are written for ordinary moments.
Consider writing one to say:
- Thank you
- I'm thinking of you
- Congratulations
- I'm proud of you
- I'm sorry for your loss
- I appreciate you
Even if the moment has already passed, it's never too late. A note of encouragement months later can still mean more than you realize.
A Simple Challenge
For our wedding, my great-aunt and great-uncle included part of a letter they had saved from my grandmother decades earlier. The legacy of a letter can extend beyond your lifetime.
Think of one person:
- A family member
- A friend
- A coworker
- A neighbor
- A former teacher.
This week, write them a handwritten note. No special occasion necessary—just a few genuine sentences to let someone know they matter.
You never know where that note might end up years from now, or how deeply it might be needed today.