I'm better at writing than I am at speaking. Chances are, if I greatly love you in some capacity (family, friend, boyfriend), I've probably written you a letter at some point. I love writing and to me a letter or a note is something deeply personal, meaningful, and genuine.

I'm not very good at expressing my feelings to other people. I don't like to open up, especially when my emotions are negative. In moments of grief and sadness, or sometimes even moments of joy and congratulation, it is much easier for me to write my thoughts down on paper than it is for me to speak them aloud. I also like that through writing I get to think about what I'm saying before I say it. I know that my words have been meticulously chosen to accurately express what I feel. And I won't say anything I regret because unlike speaking, writing is editable.

Along with writing, I am a reader. Which is partly why I also find joy in receiving letters. Knowing that someone took the time to write something purely for my eyes makes my heart so happy. It's even better when it comes in the mail! If you've ever heard of the idea of "love languages", I'm 99% sure my love language is letters. It doesn't even have to be hand-written. A thoughtful email or a typed letter that was too long to hand-write is just as good in my opinion.

In high school, I struggled with math. It has always been my worst subject and honestly the one that interested me the least. But my last two years of high school, I lucked out in the math teacher department. I had teachers that taught in a way that I not only understood, but I actually did well. And I didn't hate it. My teacher junior year, along with being an excellent educator, was also just an excellent person. He was kind and complimentary and he inspired everyone around him to be the same way.

Every week, once a week, he would take time out of class to say nice things to us and to read us letters. These were letters that he would collect throughout the week from students in his other classes, or even students that didn't have him at all. He would compliment someone and it would be individualized and so genuine. Then people in the class would compliment each other. It could be anything from “I love your new haircut” to long letters about friendship and life. You could say these things yourself or you could write it down and have the teacher read it for you. Several prom-posals happened and people cried all the time. It was extremely meaningful to everyone who participated.

The letters my teacher read out loud were often from people not in our class; they would just drop them by his room. After one of my best friends and I found out we would be drum majors together the next year, he wrote me a letter and because we’re not usually super touchy-feely friends, it meant so very much to me. My friend that sat behind me in class wrote me a sweet and hilarious letter full of inside jokes that probably meant nothing to anyone but me. But that's what was beautiful about the whole thing- the individualized aspect of every single letter. Though I loved letters before then, that class made me love them even more. It connected everyone on a personal level and encouraged us to be kind and complimentary to each other, even people we didn’t know super well. It was one of the most special things a teacher has ever done.

When I graduated high school, my parents secretly asked basically everyone I know to write me a letter with advice for my future, or reminiscing over a happy memory, or really just anything at all. They collected them all in a box and presented it to me at my graduation party. There were letters from friends and family, teachers (even elementary school teachers), band directors and past piano teachers and girl scout leaders. People from every aspect of my life had written me a letter. It is the best gift I’ve ever gotten. It was so thoughtful, both of my parents to organize it, and for everyone who loved me to participate. Even now, if I go through those letters I cry my eyes out.

It was the most personal gift anyone could’ve given me because each letter was unique and special depending on who wrote it. Some were funny and some were serious. Some covered theirs in stickers or pictures. Some included inside jokes and some contained memories from so long ago that I didn't even remember until I read the letter. One of my friends drew hilarious illustrations on hers, like she would do on the notes we passed back and forth between classes. Some of them were pages long and others were a couple of sentences. But I loved every single one of them.

Since I’ve come to college, my love of letters has grown even more. Getting mail is such a treat, especially when someone you care about sends you a piece of paper that’s full of their words and love. And I still love writing them too. My friends usually get letters on Christmas or Valentine’s Day just reminding them that I love them dearly. Sometimes it’s easier to put those things in writing than it is to say them with your voice. And sometimes you don't say those things as often as you should and so it's nice to make a point of reminding the people that you care about, that you care about them every once in a while.

Letter writing (and writing in general) is something that I will always value and love. It will always be my easiest and most genuine way of expressing my feelings. The written word contains so much power and meaning and I hope that I never take that for granted. To me, there's nothing more intimate than capturing your feelings on a piece of paper and sharing it with someone that is important to you.