_______________ ,

Dear Friend,

Thank you for reading my blog.

Love,
Sincerely,
Best,

Ann


A dozen times each day, I get to the end of an email and think, "What now?!"

I am a communicator - I love to talk, write, read (I am working on the listening) - and so I struggle to find the right expression to send my readers off with the proper sentiment.

What do you say to a friend that you adore, but aren't ready for "Love,"? What do you say to a business associate that is also a friend? And, if you can't come up with something clever, should you just leave your name off too?!

For example, you can't write:
Dear John,
Thanks for letting me borrow that screwdriver.
XOXO,
Ann
(or can you?)

When does it become inappropriate for a 25-year-old to say things like "Toodles" or "Kisses" or "Later Alligator"? (Answer: never)

And, don't get me started about business emails. I almost always default to the safest bet:
Thanks,
Ann
(Thanks for what?!)

Somehow, saying hello seems easier, but still not ideal. "Dear," really is tried and true. "Hi!" seems to be in fashion, but it's definitely not the new black.

In a world of short and concise, what happened to taking some time to say hello and goodbye?

So, until next time...