How to end a postcard without "Lots of love, see you soon"
Published on 3 October 2026 · 3 min read
You found your first line, you told them about the ginger cat, the market, the hill that nearly finished you off. There's room for two more lines, and your mind goes blank. So you write what everyone writes: "Lots of love, see you soon!" No harm done, it's kind. But it's a shame, because the last line of a postcard is the one that lingers when the card is put down, and the one that gets reread every time someone walks past the fridge. Here are three ways to get it right without making your message any longer.
End on a date
"See you soon" promises nothing. Swap it for something specific, however small. "I'll tell you the rest on Sunday, save me a slice of tart." "When I'm back I'm taking you out for mussels, it's settled." "See you at Christmas, I'll bring the photos." A real day, a real plan: the person doesn't put the card away, they wait for the next episode. It's the perfect ending for grandparents, and for anyone who counts the days between two visits.
End on a question
A postcard is a monologue, unless you finish it with a question. "So, did your tomatoes ever turn red?" "What's the new neighbour like?" "Did you buy that bike in the end?" The person wants to answer, and often they do: a call, a text, sometimes a card in return. Pick a question that could only be for them. "How are you?" works for everyone, which means it works for no one.
End on a wink only the two of you get
A nickname, an old joke, a line you've been repeating to each other for ten years. "I promise I didn't touch the steering wheel." "They only have unsalted butter here too, you'd have hated it." "The world pétanque champion sends his regards." A few words that mean nothing to the postman and everything to the person reading. That's the kind of ending that gets a card kept, because it couldn't have been written to anyone else.
And the signature?
Sign with the name they call you, not the one on your passport: "Your Lili", "Dad", "The tall one". If there are several of you, "The four from the campsite" beats a list of first names. And don't forget the postscript: it's the line everybody reads, so use it for the funny detail you couldn't fit in anywhere else. "PS: the ginger cat is still asleep on the scooter."
You don't need all three at once: one of these endings is enough, and the love and kisses can stay, right after it. With UnCoucou you write your message from your phone, we print your photo on thick premium paper and hand your card to La Poste for you, from €2.49 per card, stamp included. The first line makes people want to read. The last one makes them want to keep the card.