You may be asking yourself, "who writes letters now a days?". That is a valid question considering most of society has converted to a digital world. Everything is instant. We have lost a sense of patience and waiting in the world we live in. Everything is at the tip of our finger tips and yet we still complain when a package doesn't arrive in exactly 48 hours.
Again, why am I here talking about writing letters when I could send a note to my friend in an instant?
Every birthday since I can remember I would wait by the mail box hoping for a letter, addressed to me, would arrive from my grandparents. My grandma, bless her soul, would write these heartfelt letters to each of her grandkids for their birthday expressing her love and gratitude for us. I have kept every single one of those letters and I plan on continuing. Grandma could have easily called me to wish me happy birthday, but she took her time to write a letter. Those letters are small memories that I have of my grandparents. Each cursive line and dotted "I" reminds me of how kind my grandparents.
I remember how excited I was knowing that I would receive a letter from my grandparents each year and how I felt. Because of my grandparents example to me, I would often leave handwritten notes around my childhood house to my parents expressing my appreciation for them. Those small notes would later turn into a habit that I would carry on into my adulthood.
I had the opportunity to be a part of an internship with a religious group I am apart of. I left my family for 18 months and had limited contact with them due to the distance. During those times when I felt lonely or home sick, I would often catch myself writing notes to my mom and later compiling them into a letter.
After a week or so I would receive a letter back from my mom. Seeing her handwriting and reading her thoughts were very special to me. I would often look back at the letters she sent me to find encouragement or to just feel loved. They were special to me. This is how I started getting into writing letters.
There's something about receiving a letter from someone that shows effort. Effort that someone took the time to write out their thoughts and feeling about you and then buying a stamp to send it your way. That effort is translated to appreciation and creates memories without being in person.
Letters remind us of others and can reread constantly. They remove us from the instant world that we live in and grounds us into reality. We can understand the effort that comes behind each sealed envelope.
I often catch myself rereading letters from years ago. I know the thoughts and feeling that I was experiencing when rereading those words loved ones sent to me. I feel uplifted and loved knowing the effort behind each word. Knowing this I often send out letters to others. I have had multiple friends reach out to me saying that they look back at the handwritten letters they have received from me to feel encouraged or to feel slightly uplifted. Knowing that I can be there for someone without physically being there has left me much joy.
The digital world that we live in has created instant opportunity that once we are satisfied we move on. Learning how to live in the moment and reflect on the words others have sent to us, helps and creates an appreciated life. We take the small acts of kindness to heart and offer our kindness to others.
Going back to the question that you probably asked yourself, "who writes letters now a days?", I can give you the answer to that. You do!
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