When was the last time you sent or received a text message, Snapchat, or email? Was it a few minutes, maybe even seconds ago? Now try to think back to the last time you received a letter in the mail from someone. Handwritten letters are an old-fashioned, romanticized art form that are slowly being replaced by instantaneous and meaningless conversation. I'm here to encourage everyone to revert back to the basics and take the time to sit down, write something meaningful, and wait. In a world that is so instant it is important to slow it down from time to time. Here are four reasons why handwritten letters should become a thing again:

1. It requires thought and concentration.

Sitting down with a piece of paper and a pen demands writers to come up with some sort of organization for what they intend to say before they begin. Handwritten letters cannot be explained face-to-face. A letter must be explainable solely by the content that is located within it. Writers need to sort out what they are trying to say, and get that idea across as clearly as possible.

2. It disconnects us from technology and getting things instantly.

With text messages and emails, communication becomes instant and meaningless. When you can send/receive information within minutes, it loses the anticipation and value behind what is actually being shared. Sending letters requires an envelope, a postage stamp, and patience. Having to wait 3-5 business days in order to hear from someone creates a connection that cannot be fulfilled through instantaneous conversation.

3. It’s traditional/historic.

There is something extremely sentimental in communicating in a way that was so sacred to earlier generations. Imagine all of the letters shared between lovers during times of war and family members separated due to immigration. Letters were people’s way of sharing important events and feelings. It is both romantic and heartwarming to connect with ancestors through the art form of handwritten letters.

4. It’s everlasting.

In a world full of fleeting and brief conversations, handwritten letters remain permanent. They can be looked back on again and again, and never lose their meaning. It’s a personal way of sharing a connection with someone; through seeing their penmanship, holding onto their ideas and emotions, and taking the time to tentatively respond, the beauty of handwritten letters overcomes the coldness of texting and emailing every time.