Love letters. Letters from home. Letters from Santa. Hogwarts letters (which I'm still waiting for). Open letters, thank you notes, pen pals, Dear Abby, Dear John, business letters, letters of intent, recommendation letters. The world is full of words, messages and conversations. But these days, almost every letter of the alphabet appears in restricted typeface and is back-lit by a glowing screen. Many elementary schools are no longer teaching cursive beyond what it takes to scribble a personal signature. Few people these days have or take the time to sit down with a paper and pen and write something meaningful to someone.
When I was a kid, I remember the excitement of opening the mailbox and finding something with my name on it. Whether it was an invitation to a friend's party, a birthday card, or a thank-you note, seeing my name on the envelope made me feel important. Someone had printed something with me in mind; every word traveled miles to reach my eyes.
Call me a romantic, but there's something about a handwritten letter that will always carry a million times more meaning than a text. I have a stack of letters from high school friends that I keep in my room. I can name several times when re-reading these letters helped me in times of stress, anxiety and darkness.
In the world of text and email, postage seems like too much of a hassle. But taking time to sit down and write to someone (a friend, a lover, a family member) can be a positive therapeutic outlet for both the writer and reader. I can't speak for everyone, but the words "I love you" seem so much more heartfelt and emotional in that person's own handwriting than in size 12 Times New Roman.
My packing list for college included envelopes and stamps. I make a point to write to a high school friend at least once a month so that we can keep in touch. I never expect anyone to write back, but I check my mailbox in case someone does. In many ways I'm still that little girl who checks the mailbox and goes through all the mail looking for something addressed to her. The only difference is that now letters have to contend with bills and bank offers.
Letters don't crack when you drop them. They can't accidentally be deleted. They can't be lost when your laptop crashes. You can't mistakenly send them to the wrong contact and you don't need good WiFi or cell reception to read them. They don't get lost as a text bubble ascends up a continuing conversation.
We need to start writing letters again.
