The Lost Art of Letter Writing

If your middle-aged or older (like myself) you’ll remember the days before email and text, and what is was like to receive a letter from a teacher-assigned pen pal in another state, a family member who lived in another country, a friend sitting a few seats away from you in class or “delivered” in your locker in high school (remember slipping notes between the small slats at the top of a locker door?) from a boyfriend/girlfriend.

Receiving a handwritten note was a bit magical because the moment was filled with anticipation and surprise. You had to practice patience waiting for a response, and you had to actively open the letter and read it. It felt different than an e-message because it was something you could literally hold in your hand. Every pen or pencil stroke the writer made was unique to that person and made you feel like they were there in a way. Sometimes the stationary was personalized or the paper smelled differently depending on where it came from (cue that scene in the 1978 film, Grease, when Marty Marachino sprayed perfume on her letters to soldiers and sailors before sending them to give them a “personal touch”). Some letters were sealed with wax or ornate stickers which added to their beauty.

Recently, I’ve been receiving some messages (yes, pun intended) that it’s time to bring back the art of letter writing. A few weeks ago, I read The Correspondent, a novel by Virginia Evans. The book is a series of letters that weaves a bittersweet story about the life of the main character, an elderly woman named Sybil. It was an excellent read (I highly recommend it!) and it reminded me of how it felt to sit down to compose a written letter to someone and the anticipation I felt waiting for that person’s response.

I am also currently revising my unit on Romeo and Juliet for my ninth grade students. If you are familiar with the Shakespearean play, you’ll remember that letter writing is central to the plot, as an undelivered written message wreaks havoc on the main characters’ plans.

Lastly, this week I came across a show on Amazon Prime which is entitled, Ladies of Letters, a British comedy. I played two episodes in the background while I was cooking last night and was yet again reminded of times past when letter writing was part of our lives. As a result of all of this, I have decided to try to get back to handwriting letters and messages to friends and family. Here are some ways you might do the same:

1. Postcards

A fun, simple way of communicating with others is via postcard. What I love about this is that it involves choosing a postcard at a stationary or souvenir store, as well as a trip to a local post office, someplace you might not have visited otherwise. I remember sending a postcard home to my mother from Venice, Italy and going into the most beautiful post office to do so. 

What’s also great about a writing post card is that the message doesn’t have to be long, but it provides an emotional snapshot of your trip that perhaps a visual photograph couldn’t capture. Maybe you’ll describe what a cup of tea tasted like at a certain cafe or the way the sunlight felt as it warmed up your face, or why you wish the recipient could be there at that particular moment. 

Lastly, though post cards are usually sent to family and friends, you could write and send one to yourself as a reminder of a moment in time on your trip. Once you’re at home and you receive it, it will be like getting to relive that experience; a small gift you can give to yourself once you return to your daily grind.

2. Letters

A letter is particularly personal. You can really pour out your heart, if you wish to do so. On my children’ s birthdays I tend to write them long messages telling them how I feel about them and remarking on all of the ways they have grown over the years. I hope that one day when I’m gone, those messages will serve to remind them of how much they were loved and how much I love being their mother. I save the notes my children have written to me as well. Some make me laugh and some bring joyful tears to my eyes. I also enjoy writing to my husband, and I cherish the letters he has written to me. In writing, he is often more able to easily express his feelings, as is the case for many, and his words, seen in black and white on the page, remind me of how lucky I am to be his wife.

3. Lunch Box Notes

Every time I make lunches for my family, I leave them messages – however brief. It can be as simple as a heart shape on a sandwich wrapper or a note like: “Have a great day!” or “I Iove you!”. I like to think that right before they eat, my husband and children are reminded that I am thinking of them, always.

4. (Surprisingly) Via Phone

Technically, this is not the same thing as writing a letter, but you can use your phone to write and send handwritten messages. On an iPhone, just hit the message icon, turn your phone so that the screen is vertical and choose the swoosh button on the lower right which enables the handwriting option, then use your finger to create a message and hit “send”.

How to Personalize Your Handwritten Notes:

• Invest in some stationary that is either personalized or reflects your personality. Recently, my husband gifted me Post-it style stationary with chickens and roosters on them because I like chickens and roosters. The paper is so fun and quirky! I love using it for brief messages.
• Make sure you have a nice pen. It doesn’t have to be expensive, but it should be comfortable to write with. 
• Work on your signature. I recently learned that many of my high school students do not know how to sign their names in cursive. I’m on a mission to rectify that. Create a signature for yourself and use it to close your letters. It represents you!
• Go to the post office and get some pretty stamps. Each month, there are new ones available. I like to choose stamps according to the seasons.
• Seal your letters with stickers or with wax seals. Presentation counts!

The next time I’m on vacation, I am making it my business to send some postcards to friends and family and even one to myself. I am hoping that the recipients will appreciate the gesture (I know I will!) and that it will also provide me with opportunities to truly focus on specific moments of my trip. 

The term “snail mail” isn’t just about the time it takes the post office to process and deliver the message to the recipient; it’s also about the pace at which the writer creates the message. In this go-go-go world, it’s nice to stop and sit and perhaps read or write for a spell. I’m looking forward to those opportunities to do so. I hope you are as well.