Just a Note to Say . . .: The Perfect Words for Every Occasion

Just a Note to Say . . .: The Perfect Words for Every Occasion

A fully revised edition of Florence Isaacs’s bestselling classic, Just a Note to Say . . . offers over 150 new sample notes and ideas to help you write warm, meaningful messages that let people know how much they matter. For a decade, Just a Note to Say . . . has been an unparalleled resource for choosing the perfect words to express sentiments on any occasion. Brief yet meaningful notes at times of celebration, transition, and sadness are more appreciated than ever. Now, etiquette expert Florence Isaacs updates this bestselling classic with more than 150 new ideas, inspirations, and sample notes to help you stay in touch with friends and family. This fully revised edition confirms that you needn’t write a lot to say a lot, offering practical advice to help you articulate your thoughts and let people know how much they matter. Isaacs explores the significance of occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, and weddings to help you recognize the recipient’s personal connection to an event. A cornucopia of holidays and rites of passage such as First Communion, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, La Quinceañera, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Ramadan are also featured, along with tips to inspire warm notes for these occasions. Isaacs also offers new, thoughtful suggestions for writing during sensitive times such as illness, the death of a loved one, and divorce. Plus, a brand-new chapter on the etiquette of using e-mail tells you when it’s appropriate to share your good wishes electronically. Whether you’re writing an encouraging get-well message or a congratulatory e-mail on a promotion, a sympathy card or an eloquent thank-you note, Just a Note to Say . . . helps you speak from the heart. “An invaluable resource for putting pen to paper in a meaningful and remembered way.” —Peggy Post, etiquette expert and author of Emily Post’s Etiquette, 17th Edition “We all owe Florence Isaacs a thank-you note for bringing out this wonderful new edition of Just a Note to Say . . . No matter the circumstance, she gives you the right words, guaranteeing that all your notes will sound genuine and meaningful.” —Antonia van der Meer, editor in chief, Modern Bride and Elegant Bride “No matter how busy you are, this gem of a book helps you write the perfect note for almost every situation. It’s a time saver—and a great gift idea, too.” —Martin Edelston, President, Bottom Line Publications Florence Isaacs is the author of Business Notes: Writing Personal Notes That Build Professional Relationships and five other books. Her articles have appeared in Good Housekeeping, Modern Bride, Woman’s Day, Reader’s Digest, and other leading national magazines. She is a past president of the American Society of Journalists and Authors. Florence lives in New York City. One: Making Connections in Changing Times When I had my first baby, I received a gift at the hospital with a note that read, "To Jonathan: We're so glad you're here." I'll always remember that note—and the person who sent it. This baby was one I feared I'd never have. I had tried to become pregnant, unsuccessfully, for three years and had watched other women wheeling baby carriages, feeling waves of despair that I would never have the chance. Then, magically, a few days before I was due for an appointment with yet another infertility specialist, I received the good news—I was pregnant. Though my doctor warned me that things could yet go wrong—I could miscarry—I willed it to be all right, and it was. When I saw my beautiful, perfect son for the first time, all the heartache and doubt and fear that I'd never have a child was swept away and I felt an exquisite joy. This was not just a baby, this was the most wanted baby in the world. That brief but meaningful note let me know that someone else understood my happiness. Oddly enough, the writer of the note was not a close friend, but at the moment I read her words, we shared a special bond. She had acknowledged how much this child meant to me. If she had simply called or signed her name to a printed card, I'd have appreciated it. But, as I learned that day, there's nothing like a personal note to make you feel touched and remembered. That fact remains truer than ever today. In this age of impersonal technology, a handwritten note makes a human connection that is as valuable as the sentiments expressed. CHANGING TIMES In other centuries, people had to write notes and letters to stay in touch with friends, family, and others important to them. On a trip to Mount Vernon, I learned that George Washington wrote almost forty thousand letters during his lifetime. Of course, technology provides many other ways of communicating today. You turn on your speedy computer and push a button to e-mail your friends, family members, and others at work or in the community. You can contact anyone on the phone from a train, in your car, or virtually anywhere—even walking down the street. You also can send an instant text message. Yet there