In a world that thrives on acceleration and convenience - handwritten letters aren't exactly the most popular form of communication. A text can be received by my lovely grandmother across the country and answered within minutes. I can Skype with my dear friends to catch up and learn what's going on in their lives. I can even email my dad now, who is in prison half the country away, whenever I wish. Why should a girl complain?
Well, I'm not. Not really anyway. I love being able to email a professor, fax paperwork, and blog my thoughts within seconds. But there is such.. elegance in taking the time to sit, think, consider, and prepare a handwritten letter. I don't have a stack of texts and emails in a box that I'll keep forever. Letters from my dad and brother, old love poems, and postcards that are special to me. Those are the tangible memories that I want to stash away and treasure.
I repeatedly wish I had more people to write to. My dad and brother are two people that I regularly write to and I love receiving letters with their handwriting. It always makes me feel like even though I can't see them and my heart aches not knowing when I will see them again - I have a part of their hearts there with me. Seeing and holding the letter they took the time to sit and write to me, along with the amusing attempts at sketches or drawings intended to make me laugh, never fails to brighten my entire day.
How about you? Have you received something handwritten that holds a lot of meaning to you? Do you wish letters were more of an everyday occurrence?
I love when the little red numbers pop up to tell me I have emails....but I love even more getting a letter in the real mail. I got a card the other day and could barely read it because it was so scribbly, but thats hal the fun, no?
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