3 reasons to revive the art of the handwritten letter.



There's something about the handwritten letter that's irreplaceable... 

When I was growing up, I used to get letters from my grandma every month. But, in this generation of email, cyber greeting cards, and text messages, the handwritten letter seems to have fallen by the wayside. It may seem old-fashioned, but letter writing is an art that shouldn't be forgotten.
                                                                        

Three reasons to sit down and write a letter...

Letters are a little gift. Nothing can replace the tactile nature of an old fashioned letter sent by post--the way it feels, looks, smells. Tearing open the envelope is like unwrapping a little present someone thought to send you. In my grandmother's day, you went to the mailbox anticipating what you might find--maybe a letter from your hubby away in another town working. When you opened the letter, it might smell like your honey's cologne or tobacco. Maybe he would have included a pressed stem of blue forget-me-nots that he said reminded him of you. You'd read and re-read the letter, sniff it, wipe your eyes, wish he was here, place the letter in with the others you kept tied with a ribbon, then sit down and pen him a response. I don't know about you, but it's just not like that with an email. 


Letters become keepsakes. In my keepsake box, I have this little bundle of letters Grammy gave me which she received and kept during the Depression when her family was split apart. In one letter is the book of ration stamps Grandpa sent her. Back then, your husband might have to find work in another city or state, or children might have to stay with grandparents, or aunts and uncles. These letters of Grammy's are little snippets of history, snapshots of the lives my grandparents lived in a completely different time era from mine. The letters retain traces of my grandparents' personalities, such as the way they're written in Grammy's unique cursive, or Grandpa's scrolling script. They've become treasures to save and pass down to others. Is an email going to stick around for seventy years to be cherished like the handwritten letter? 

Letter writing isn't hard. The hardest part of letter writing may seem like making the time to write. But if you can take the time to write an email, or send a text message, you can probably fit in writing a letter. To get inspired, try starting a collection of different stationary you adore. Choose a decorated box or basket to keep your stationary in. Buy some fun postage stamps, and keep them in the box along with your address book and pens. Then make it a point to write one short letter a week to someone who's been on your mind. They'll likely be pleasantly surprised, and so might you at how enjoyable it can be to rediscover such a simple pleasure as the art of letter writing. 

Do you have a treasured stack of letters you keep somewhere? I'd love to hear your story.


Joy--Fearless Farm Girl,

"Farm girl: it's a verb, because it's what you do."

5 comments:

  1. Great article, Joy. I cherish the letters I have from my grandmother and other relatives who are no longer living. It's sad that this kind of legacy may be lost to future generations. But really, how hard can it be to write at least one letter a week? This is something I really want to do.

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    1. Thank you, Johnnie, for taking the time to read my post and for commenting. When I was growing up, I had a grandmother who lived in Washington, while I lived in Oregon (about six or seven hours apart). She was very consistent about sending me and my sisters each a letter or postcard on regular basis. I always looked forward to reading them. They made me feel connected to her. I have these saved in my hope-chest. Now that she's gone, they are that much more meaningful.

      Melody Joy Elick

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  2. Just saw this on GirlGab. There are a few blogger friends, along with myself, who continue to keep the art of letter writing alive. We write a post on our updates, and even some of my kids are sending handwritten letters.

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    1. Hi Kristina,

      I'm encouraged to hear that your kids are learning the value of the handwritten letter. I think this is pretty rare these days. Kids in general are so much into technology today. Good for you for being an example to them. They're lucky :-)

      Melody Joy Elick

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  3. So lovely and so true! I love getting and writing letters. Thank you for reminding me I need to do it more often.

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