Send more letters
As someone who loves words, I’ve always loved the idea of writing and receiving handwritten letters. There’s something special about someone taking the time to show their love and appreciation with pen and paper. It feels intimate, knowing it’s just between you and them.
After rewatching Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, I wondered why I never wrote love letters to my middle school crushes that my little sister sent out. Lara Jean used handwritten letters to express herself because she was afraid to say her feelings out loud. Maybe writing letters feels easier because it’s just you and the paper until you choose to share it.
I also struggle to tell people how I feel. Whether it’s about love or friendship, I’m afraid of being too vulnerable. I often write letters to others that I never send. I find myself writing letters that might start conversations I’m not ready for, or ones I waited too long to have. My journal is full of unsent letters. Letters I go back to, reminding me of how much love I had for them.
I wonder what would have happened if I had actually given the letters I wrote to people.
Handwritten letters are often seen as a sign of vulnerability, and in a time when being nonchalant is popular, they’re rare. In To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Lara Jean said, “The more people you let into your life, the more that can just walk right out”—further emphasizing the idea that being vulnerable is scary.
Not many people want to sit down, listen to “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer, and write letters to the people they care about. Whether it’s romantic or platonic, I’ve never met anyone who threw away a handwritten letter given to them with love.
I have a playlist called “Barefoot in the kitchen” with songs I want to play when I’m in love. I’ve decided I’m going to bring back handwritten letters. Wearing your heart on your sleeve is in, and being nonchalant is out.
When you write a handwritten letter, you can take your time to think about what you want to say and share things you might be afraid to say out loud. Putting your feelings on paper helps you let people in. Being vulnerable is beautiful, and so are your letters.
Thinking about this makes me remember the letters I wish I’d sent. I would have written my grandpa an apology after our last conversation before his accident. I would have told my ex-best friend how much I missed her and how often I think about the plans we made. I could have sent these as texts, but even that felt too vulnerable. Writing the letters would have been intimate.
Maybe it’s time to bring handwritten letters back, not just for nostalgia, but to remind ourselves that being vulnerable isn’t just beautiful, it’s necessary. Sure, it can be messy, but sometimes the words we hold back are the ones that matter most. Write a handwritten letter, and send it out.