Think back to the last time you received a hand-written letter in the mail.

Felt pretty good, right?

Whatever the message, there’s something special about pen on paper written just for you.

Problem is, hand-written letters are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Just last week, Hallmark announced plans to lay off 300 people at one of its plants due to a lack of demand for paper products.

Sure, the Internet makes it easy to express how we feel. But sometimes a quick Gchat convo isn’t enough.

That’s why all of us need these two old-timey communication tools:

1. greeting cards

2. stamps

Just by having those things nearby, you will never have to skip on a life moment that deserves a note by hand.

Among them:

– Congratulating a friend/family on graduation or the birth of a child

– Sending along sympathies when a close friend loses a loved one

– Thanking someone for a gift or for doing you a huge favor

– Following up on a crucial job interview to help ‘seal the deal’

Too often, we don’t send hand-written notes simply because we don’t have them lying around.

For a batch of greeting cards, try here. All you need are ones with your name or a simple design. That way, they will be appropriate for any occasion, happy or sad. Then, snag a book of 20 stamps here or head to a local pharmacy like CVS.

We’re not writing actual notes to save the paper industry — and the USPS — from extinction.

It’s about preserving what it means to send someone a hand-written note. It shows you’re willing to go the extra mile in a world that no longer requires you to do so.

That simple gesture can have a deep impact on the person who receives your note in the mail. It could be a good friend who graduated from college or even a boss reviewing resumes in a highly competitive job search.

Yes, the act of writing a letter may feel like a chore, but everyone loves to get one in the mail.

Just remember how a hand-written note made you feel.

A card, a stamp and five minutes of your time. That’s all it takes.