I have been asked multiple times over the past four and a half years as to why I write letters to people. Wouldn't a text message be quicker? Doesn't that take a long time? Who do you even send a letter to anyway, no one sends letters anymore. These comments I have had to deal with for quite a long time, answering them the same way.
First off, I am a writer. And writing is one of the most important things to me. There are just things that cannot be conveyed over a text message or even face to face. A text message is too short and informal to justify the true meaning I am trying to get across to someone, and face to face isn't always remembered. Everything I could say by mouth could be forgotten. But having a letter written, it not only is more formal and meaningful, but one can go back and reread it again and again.
Letters are a very unique way of communication. Before the technology era, it was the only way of communication between far distances. Love and hatred were put down on paper to travel a journey of its own until its recipient opened it up themselves. There is a certain element of pride that goes into writing a letter to someone, an element of precious time and care to make sure everything is said the way it's meant to sound. Not to mention that it is a very unique way of keeping in touch with friends and family nowadays.
It's an incredible feeling to get a personal letter in the mail rather than multiple bills, advertisements, or notices from some organization asking for money. For me, it reminds me that there was once a simpler time, a time where people sat down and truly expressed how they felt about one another. There is absolutely joy when I get a personal letter. It means to me that my friend took the time to write me back, to update me on things back home and to stay in touch with me. It's a meaningful thing to write a letter to someone.
Yes, it can be very time consuming, but that just makes the letter even more meaningful. I try and write every friend I have a birthday letter and a Christmas letter. It is not only my gift to them, but it keeps me in touch with everyone. The time it takes to write one's letter is completely worth it to me. I like to be honest and write to other people and it means a lot that they do indeed appreciate it, and sometimes even write me back.
I wish more people wrote letters to people. There needs to be more love shared and more honesty conveyed than just a simple text message. Letters were what connected us in the past, and a part of me believes they will be one of the only sources in the future at some point. I challenge you to sit down, pick someone dear to you, and write them a letter. Even if they live states away, and you haven't seen them in years. Start being pen-pals with someone, write to your neighbor or your best friend back home while you're at college. Just write, it's a beautiful thing and I guarantee you'll make someone's day a whole lot better.
