Yesterday I received a letter from my dear friend Sophia. The hand-written, return address and stamp kind. I wish more people sent letters. There are very few things quite so thrilling as opening up your mailbox to find an envelope with a personal note inside, written by someone who cares for you and took the time to write it out. So much more personal than a facebook message or email, a letter requires thought and time.
I think we get too impatient for letters though. Why would you want to take the time to hand-write something, pay to send it, and know the person you wrote to won't get it for several days, when you can easily send a quick note over the internet? Well, I think that's just why we should send letters to those we care about most. It's too easy to click on someone's profile and send a message, and suddenly you expect instant gratification. If they haven't written back within a couple of hours you imagine they are snubbing you, or simply did not care about what you wrote. But letters require thought, and the effort to find paper, envelopes, stamps, a pen and articulate your feelings. Even if it's a short note, sending it through the postal service shows the heart behind it.
My grandpa used to write me letters when I was younger, telling me stories about his childhood and growing-up years. I would get so excited every time I received that personal envelope in the mail, and knew he wrote these out because he loved me and wanted to leave something for me to hold on to. Today I consistenly write letters to a couple of my friends. Having that tangible piece of paper in front of you is so special, and allows you to keep it forever, instead of scrolling through the archives of your inbox to find an email. I tie all my letters together with a ribbon so that I can easily find them and look back on them to be encouraged. Letters bridge the gap of time and space. And really, how pretty is a well-worn letter and envelope?
Letters have been written for centuries upon centuries, and I think it is a practice we should not so quickly give up, simply because we have faster forms of communication. Not only can you find joy in encouraging someone on paper, but imagine the pay-off when you recieve one in return. Suddenly you realize what you've been missing. And you can't go back.
I agree 100 percent with you Amy :)
ReplyDeleteI love getting mail, real mail from a friend or loved one. During the summer, my best friend Laura is a counselor at a camp. She doesn't have acess to the internet, so we send letters and pictures to eachother all summer. I would always love opening up the mail box to find a cute purple envelope with her name on it. I also love surprise letters, because it makes all the other mail (which is usually bills) seem not so bad.
I am also in complete agreement. :)
ReplyDeleteI have had two pen pals over the course of my life, and have treasured both their letters dearly. One, whom I still write today, is 13 years old and lives on a farm outside of St. Cloud. She absolutely LOVES to write me, and I love getting the decorated envelopes and the letters written in different-colored inks, fraught with doodles and designs. My grandma has also sent me a letter every Tuesday since I've been at college, and those letters are something I've come to look forward to. They are keepsakes that will last much longer than Facebook messages, and I can't wait to look back on them twenty years down the road.
I love letters. Basically I love anything that is tangible and not just online. When I was in Australia, it was the best thing to get letters from home. It was a reminder of all of the things I missed her. Letters just make people feel loved.
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