There is something so special about receiving a handwritten letter, yet these days, they are almost obsolete, thanks to email, texts and the internet. For the last few months, my mom and I have been sending one another the same cards/letters, each time finding less space to write anything back. By receiving and mailing back these handwritten letters, there is something so special about it, it’s more personal.
You might wonder how this began, well let me tell you. I was at my mom’s house and she was wrapping a present for one of her best friends. She opened a large bag of cards that she has saved over several years. I watched as she signed the aged card that the friend had sent her. I asked why she planned on sending that card to her friend and she told me that it’s something that they had always done. Two days later, I received a card that I sent my mom a long time ago. From that day a few months ago, we’ve maybe mailed back five ten cards, each one using up all the blank spaces. It’s also been a great way to say a little “hello” to each other while she’s been on vacation in Florida.
I encourage you to try this wonderful way of reintroducing handwritten letters or cards…
I love the idea of sending a card that was sent by a friend to you, back to the friend. Or family relative. My girlfriend and I have been writing letters to each other back and forth for the past 8 years. Her husband teases her about using snail mail and all that, but for us, the act of getting a letter in the mail is extremely special. Sure we email, and sometimes we type the letter, but mostly it’s hand written, and it arrives with a stamp.
I love this post and this idea. I’ll have to try it myself.
Thanks so much for your comment! It’s awesome that you and your friend have kept up with this handwritten tradition. My husband makes fun of it too, but I think that’s only because he’s in IT and is all about computers. About your stamp comment, that’s just another way of showing that they took the time to put a stamp on it! (Great point!)
Thanks again for your comment! 🙂
That is such a great story. I used to correspond through hand written letters with a friend of mine who I met at a fantasy/renaissance festival back in the mid ’90’s . It was always so exciting to get her letters in the mail, and she would decorate the enveoples, include a little artwork in the margins of the letters themselves. It was so much fun.
Thanks for your comment! When you wrote the word “story,” I was instantly inspired to write a book about handwritten letters. Thanks again! 🙂
What a great idea. That’s how my best friend and I kept in touch when she was at college. I still send out cards at Christmas to friends and family oversees. It’s nice getting cards and letters through the mail.
Elke,
Thanks for your comment! That’s awesome that handwritten letters is how you and your friend kept in touch! I think that (especially) in college, it’s nice to have that sweet sentimental value and know that someone took the time to actually get a pen or pencil and write to you. 🙂
Fabulous idea!!
It’s like a handwritten Forum or even handwritten Tweeting 🙂
Thanks for your comment! I see how you mean it’s like Tweeting — as my mom and I kept up the writing on one card, we were allowed only a small amount to write. 🙂
Great post! I love handwritten letters/cards. Over the years, I’ve found that very few people still appreciate taking the time to write someone else–not even Christmas cards. I removed my text message services because no one would call on the holidays or birthdays; I’d just get a series of mass forwards saying: “Happy holidays!” “Happy B-day!”
Really?
Well, email and texting are useful at times but to completely replace that personal interaction with another human being is beyond me. When did picking up a phone or writing letters get to be so tedious and too personal? And although I don’t have anyone who is interested in writing me anything unless there’s a “send” button, I still enjoy writing letters to the older adults in my life who look forward to the correspondence, are appreciative of a “Thinking of You” card and pretty stationary scribbled with thoughtful words and time it takes to do so. I think that handwritten letters to family and friends carries more weight than the ease in which one can click away the same message. But in the end it’s the thought that counts, I just like to add a bit more with the delivery.
Thanks for your comment!
Wow! I completely agree with you! I love how you had text messaging removed — that’s awesome! 🙂 I think that some people take advantage of texting and some even get mad that you don’t reply…well, a text isn’t always needed for a reply, right? While I like for my phone to ring, it rarely does anymore, because of email or texting, but I’d prefer a handwritten note! Thanks again for your comment!
That is something that I passed on to my son, although I would have to stand right next to him as he wrote it or it wouldn’t get done. Now he’s got a lovely wife that makes sure it gets done!