By Keely Chace on July 13, 2018
There comes that awkward point when it’s been a while since you’ve talked to someone you care about, and you want to check in to tell them “I’m thinking of you.” Maybe they’ve been busy. Maybe you’ve been busy. Whatever the case may be, you miss them, and you want to reach out, but you worry a text or other digital exchange will just get lost in the shuffle.
At times like this, a card can really come to the rescue. Taking the time to sign, seal and send a card communicates that you’ve been thinking about your recipient and truly care about keeping up your relationship. The fact that a card is a little out of the ordinary day-to-day flow is a nice bonus. It will grab your recipient’s attention in a friendly way and invite follow-up.
Whether you choose a Hello, Keep in Touch, Thinking of You, or blank card, we’ve got ideas to help you add a meaningful message when you sign it. And the good news is, you don’t need to write much to show you care. We’ve organized our tips by message type, but feel free to mix and match to say all you want to say.
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- Hi/Hello
- What’s New?
- Thinking of You
- Miss You
- Let’s Talk
- Let’s Get Together
- Warm Closing
Hi/Hello
It could be that you simply want to say hi and give your friend or loved one a nice little surprise in the mail. That’s great!
- “Hi, hello, hey there, howdy!”
- “Just a friendly little hello from me to you.”
- “Hi there! Just felt like sharing a smile with you today.”
- “Hey, you! What’s new?
- “In the immortal words of Adele, ‘Hello…it’s me…’”
- “¡Hola! Just thought I’d try multi-tasking by practicing my Spanish and saying hi to you at the same time.”
Writing Tip: You can easily build on a simple hello message by adding other thoughts and questions. Read on for some message building blocks you can stack on top…
What’s New?
Maybe you’re mostly just curious about what’s going on with the person you’re writing to. Asking “How are things?” is a good way to express caring and start a conversation.
- “What’s new with you?”
- “What’s up?”
- “What’s happening in your corner of the world?”
- “How have you been?”
- “I know you’ve been super busy. Just wanted to check in and ask how everything’s going.”
- “Just wanted to say hi and ask about what you’re up to these days.”
Writing Tip: Take care not to blame your recipient for losing touch, even inadvertently. “I haven’t heard from you in a while” can seem innocent enough when you write it, but to your reader, it can come across as though you’re placing all responsibility for keeping in touch on their shoulders.
Thinking of You
It’s hard to go wrong by letting your friend or loved one know you’ve been thinking about them. In fact, it’s pretty much an automatic feel-good message.
- “I’ve been thinking about you.”
- “You’ve been on my mind a lot lately.”
- “Thinking of you always makes my day.”
- “Just wanted to send some happy thoughts your way today.”
- “I just came across an old photo of us, and it got me thinking about how much fun we always have together…”
- “Hey, I know it’s been a while, but I want you to know you’ve been in my thoughts.”
- “I’m sorry you haven’t heard much from me lately. I’ve been thinking about you often, though.”
Writing Tip: A quick apology for not staying in touch is fine, but don’t grovel or dwell on how busy you’ve been. Instead, keep your message forward-looking and focused on bringing the relationship closer again.
Miss You
Whether your recipient lives minutes away or half a world away, it’s a nice touch to let them know you miss them.
- “I’ve missed you.”
- “I miss our talks.”
- “I miss seeing you.”
- “I miss hearing your laugh.”
- “It’s been too long.”
- “I’m starting to realize how lucky I was back when we got to see each other every day.”
- “I wish our paths could cross a little more often.”
Writing Tip: A simple “miss you” message is probably a little sad all by its lonesome, but it makes a good lead-in to a “Let’s Talk” or “Let’s Get Together” message…
Let’s Talk
If you want to, use your personal message to pave the way for a follow-up chat.
- “Let’s talk soon.”
- “Let’s Skype. Just let me know what would be a good time for you.”
- “Call me when things calm down a little. It would be so good to hear your voice.”
- “I’d love to hear from you. Shoot me a text or an email when you get a chance.”
- “I can’t wait to catch up. I’ll call you Sunday night.”
Writing Tip: If you do suggest a follow-up chat, be sure to follow through. Don’t let “soon” turn into six months.
Let’s Get Together
You might also use your message to set the stage for a face-to-face catch-up in the near future.
- “Let’s go grab coffee soon. I’ll text to set up a time.”
- “I’ll be at Homer’s from 7:00-9:00 on Saturday. Please stop by and say hi if you get a chance.”
- “How about lunch next week? It would be so good to see you!”
- “Drinks? My patio? This weekend? Let me know when you’re free.”
- “Looking forward to catching up with you at the reunion next month!”
Writing Tip: When you suggest a specific meet-up, it shows you really mean it. Your friend may very well come back with a different suggestion, but that’s fine. Catch-up mission still accomplished!
Warm Closings
A warm closing is a great way to finish even a very casual message. Choose one of ours, or create your own.
- Sincerely,
- Warmly,
- Love,
- With love,
- Lots of love,
- Love always,
- Yours,
- Yours truly,
- Your friend,
- Your old friend,
- Best,
- Smiles,
- Hugs,
- Blessings,
- God bless,
- Thinking of you,
- Tags:
- greeting card messages
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