When was the last time you received a letter? An honest-to-goodness handwritten letter stamped and sent through the post?
As computers and the Internet become more and more prevalent, handwritten letters stamped and sent through the mail have become a rarity. Seldom, if ever, do people write letters now for friends or family, making it a dying art. In an age when emails and texts can be sent in minutes, and documents spell check themselves, putting pen to paper is viewed as an archaic or superfluous means of communication. But that’s where people are wrong.
During my freshman year of college, my sister planned to go abroad. Scared of all the uncertainty and changes that college meant, I wasn’t sure how I would fare without my best friend being available 24/7. Now dependent on uncontrollable variables, like time difference and access to wi-fi, Snapchats and FaceTimes would no longer be just a simple button click away.
A month or two into the school year, I suddenly received a notification for mail. Not expecting any packages, I was left wondering what I had received. Much to my surprise, my sister had taken it upon herself to send me a handwritten letter posted all the way from Scotland, thus, beginning our year of letter correspondence.
As our letters went back and forth, they became more than just little updates about our lives. Suddenly, the thousands of miles between us disappeared and I felt that no matter the highs and lows of freshman year, my sister was always beside me. Through her words on paper and postcards she transported me on her adventures with her, allowing me to see what she saw and taste everything she ate, offering an escape from reality when I so desperately needed one.
To this day, my sister and I still write letters to each other, and I have every one I ever received -- hung up or saved. Call us old fashioned, but letters and postcards are so much more than just pieces of paper with ink on them. They are personal, private and more meaningful than being sent a quick email or text message. Writing a letter is a carefully considered act, leaving the recipient with a memento that holds a little piece of history. In some of my darkest times freshman year and since, rereading old letters and seeing postcards remind me of happier moments, giving hope for better things to come.
Now, I would never trade the anticipation of waiting for a letter with the quick and fleeting gratification of pressing send on a text. Letters are thoughtful, with the author carefully stringing together words and phrases, filling the lines on the page with authentic and raw emotion. Each shaky letter, or misspelled word, creates life and character, giving the recipient a one of a kind gift that transcends well beyond the moment. So next time, try holding off on that text message and try sending a letter to your friend or loved one instead. See what adventures putting pen to paper can take you on.
