Letters via Mail

A COMMUNITY SUBMISSION

Mail took on an extra special meaning when I headed off to college as letter writing was my preferred way of maintaining connection with family over the distance. My grandparents were the recipients of my very first penned pages; folded then sealed within an envelope and sent with love. I was a bit surprised several years later during my Graduate Studies when upon the passing of my paternal grandmother, I received a zippered bank pouch filled with the letters I had written and sent her way. I had not realized that she had hung onto all my ramblings about my academic endeavors, campus jobs, adventures with friends, and college crushes. They meant more to her than I knew, and I began to consider what a treasure a handwritten letter truly was.

There is something quite “heart happy” about discovering a letter in your mailbox. It often comes as a surprise and provides a feel-good sensation upon the realization that someone had been thinking about you and took the time to share their thoughts with you in such a personal way. To hold a letter in your hands, to feel and smell the paper upon which the thoughts were written, to visually engage with the scribble belonging solely to the writer and imagine hearing their voice as you read, as if they are right there talking directly to you enhances the intimacy of the experience.

As time has passed, even after the advances in technology, which made email and texting the more common and expedient modes of communication, I have continued writing and sending letters by mail. Family members, old college friends, former colleagues, and neighbors past are amongst those I include in my letter writing ventures. I have even written to nearby friends and those who live on the same street as I know that there is a special feeling to be had as a recipient of a letter.

I would encourage you to take a moment, grab a pen and some paper, and write a note to someone you are thinking of. Perhaps it is someone you have not connected with in a while, or maybe it is someone you see more regularly. Whomever it is your time and thought will be well invested as the one who receives it will surely be left with a happy heart. This world needs more letters by mail!