As a college student at the age in between a child and an adult, I’m lucky that I don’t yet have to deal with the daily stresses of bills, useless ads from random companies, and magazines that I never requested a subscription from arriving in my mailbox on a daily basis. However, every now and then when I check my mailbox, if I’m lucky, there will be something magical waiting to make my day: a handwritten letter. Call me a sentimental old-soul, but I often worry that we’re living in a time where the art of letter writing is being utterly lost, disappearing into the technology-obsessed driven future. Today, as many schools across the world no longer teach cursive handwriting, and children grow up learning how to use iPads and computers from infancy, it’s more important than ever that we try to bring back the art of the handwritten letter. If you’ve ever received one yourself, then you know the endless joys it can bring, and the way it can make each of your days better without fail. There are so many reasons to revive letter writing, and with a little inspiration, I hope to fuel your desire to resurrect this dying form of communication.

First, there’s truly nothing like the personable nature of the handwritten word. To see someone’s unique handwriting on a page, knowing it’s unmistakably theirs and no one else’s, is an irreplaceable feeling. Every type of letter requires a series of choices, from the type of stationary, to the color of ink that touches the page, to the envelope that encapsulates it. Every letter requires an array of personal touches that upon receiving can’t help but warm your heart. While receiving a text-message or email is nice, nothing can replicate the time or thoughtful consideration that goes into writing a letter to someone you care about.

For someone as nostalgic as myself, one of my favorite parts of receiving a letter is the way they truly last forever. Again, while text messages are nice, the instantaneous form of communication simply isn’t as meaningful as the handwritten word, and not sincere enough to keep. Far after we are gone, no one will care about the million texts we may have sent, but a letter is truly a treasure that will outlive our days. I have dozens of letters that I’ve kept over the years and saved in memory boxes, that I’m able to reread again and again. Each and every time I do, it makes me thankful for the family and loved ones who I’m lucky enough to be surrounded with. I saved all those letters because I want to relive the memories, and be able to smile in five, ten, even twenty years, the same way I did when I opened them the day I found it in my mailbox.

Without realizing it, we use letters to celebrate so many special times of our lives. Whether it be birthdays, weddings, holidays, celebrating a new life, or commemorating a lost one, letters and cards are a frequent and key aspect of each event. But why not write someone a letter simply for the sake of making their day a little bit brighter? Trust me when I say that the act of purchasing some stationary, hand writing a message, sealing the envelope, buying a stamp, and mailing a letter yourself is an act that is truly one of the most honest ways to show someone that you care and love them.