Write A Letter

@ChristinHumePhoto

Let’s talk about the lost art of letter writing. At one-time, sending a letter via snail-mail was the preferred, and really the only, way to correspond. Nowadays, the only correspondence we receive in the mail is bills, junk and catalogs. That’s just plain depressing. I am here to inspire you to dust of your favorite pen, give your rusty handwriting a whirl and send someone you love (don’t be sending any hate-mail) a letter. The best part of this whole letter writing revival is that there doesn’t even have to be a reason; you can update a friend on how the kids are doing in school or share a funny memory you think about often. Whatever you decide to write about, enjoy yourself. Turn off the phone. Pour yourself a cup of tea or coffee and write to your little heart’s content. Reminisce. Share a dose of gratitude. Send love. The lucky recipient’s day will be made and you will have just improved your own quality of life by putting that pen to paper. I’m serious. Check this out:

If we don’t use it we will lose it. I am talking about actually practicing the art of handwriting. Like anything, the further you get away from practicing a skill, the more challenging and unfamiliar that skill will become. The technical world we live in no longer lends itself to handwriting. If you make it a point to practice that beautiful penmanship you were taught in the fourth grade it will no longer be lost.

It connects you without being connected…to your device. Remember when that was a thing, when we weren’t walking around with mini-computers at our disposal? When you decide to get down and dirty with your pen and paper, you must take the time to write exactly how you feel. Writing a letter is not an impulsive response to an in-the-moment text or email, it is forever. When you write in this way, you are forced to take the time to convey your feelings just right. Ever hear this quote, “Say it, forget it. Write it, forever”?

Conscious writing has it’s benefits. Most of the writing, or should I say typing, we do is quick and we are often being interrupted to respond to something or someone because that is the world we live in today. When we sit down and pen a note, we are forced to focus on our grammar and the thoughts we are trying to convey. In many ways, writing is a focused task like meditating. This is good for you and your brain.

It’s nostalgic and tangible. We are obsessed with emptying and deleting our digital mailboxes. Most can’t rid their computers of online mail fast enough — unless you are me and have 40,000 emails… Sending a note or letter is forever because you can touch and feel it. Should you send one or be the lucky recipient of one, you can store it in your secret note box forever. Isn’t that romantic?

Maybe it’s harder for you to say and easier to write. I get it. Me too. So why not spill your guts out onto a piece of paper or a beautiful card. Perhaps, let your closing be the word that professes your love, or like, for the lucky recipient, e.g. “love”, “I love you” or “yours”, if you aren’t quite there yet.

There doesn’t have to be a reason. Why does everything have to have a reason? Writing a letter absolutely does not have to have one. You can send one “just because” and that is reason enough. Maybe you left a conversation wanting to say more. Here is your chance. Just do it.

Here are a few of my favorite Instagrammers to reignite your letter writing flame.

@1canoe2