Are you familiar with the act of someone crossing out their name or monogram on stationery? You might have seen it before and wondered why someone would do that.

It’s a ritual that can be seen in cards by Yves Saint Laurent, Princess Di, and many others.

It’s something that I think not enough people do anymore and, in my opinion, it’s a ritual we should get back to. It is, like all rituals, meaningful.

Crossing out your printed name in a note or card to someone creates a sense of wonder for the person who gets it. It’s like a code.

What’s codified is a message that says “you are important to me.”

When you cross out your name you are essentially telling that person that you could have been doing anything else but chose to take the time to send them something personal. A greeting, advice, a plan, a wish.

So the next time you send someone personal a piece of professional stationery, cross out the honorific and your last name and remind that person that to them, you are just you.