Nothing beats the joy of opening your mailbox and seeing an envelope with your name carefully written out in someone’s own unique handwriting. Stamps covered in ink and street names adorning the paper are some of my favorite things, and I truly love the dopamine rush it gives me. Pen on paper is truly an art, and even more so when that pen is used to create something for someone you love and wish to communicate with.
We live in a world full of technology. Every assignment in school requires a laptop and every form of communication requires a phone. TVs are in every restaurant and people are encouraged to watch them and interact. Social media alters our perceptions on everything and even changes our relationships with people as they are often quick bursts of interactions.
The Lost Art of Letter Writing
Though, not everything about social media is bad, as it helps us connect with people across the world. I myself have found penpals through social media. However, it is a form of instant communication that can lack sincerity and dedication. I found that letter-writing helps fill that void that social media creates for me.
When writing, you take the time to think about what you want to say. It also gives you a chance to improve on your literacy, spelling, and grammar. Taking time means intention, and everyone needs more intention these days. Dedicating your time to something creative is good for the brain. Not only is it a stimulant, it helps you become more caring and thoughtful.
When I was a kid I didn’t quite understand the importance of letters and the value that they held. When receiving birthday cards, I would skip over the handwritten note and go straight for the cash. Now that I am older and have experienced loss, I wish I cared a little more. Having physical writing and documents from someone no longer alive is precious and irreplaceable.
I find that I have written more letters this year than previous years, but now I can never go back. Being away from friends and family while at college has helped this. This summer, when a friend I made at an archaeological field school wanted a penpal, I was quick to tell her I would love to write to her. Since then, we have been consistently writing. We don’t interact much on social media as our lives are both chaotically busy, but having written communication to look back on has been lovely.
My favorite thing about writing letters is that it can be with anyone. I find that writing to my parents is a nice activity that helps me cope with being away with them, updating them on my day while away at school. Even if I do text them everyday, letters are a positive time-consuming activity that allows me to ramble and ask calculated questions about their everyday lives.
Not only do I write to my immediate family, I even have family that I write to all the way in Washington State. That has been a great way to keep in touch with extended family I wouldn’t normally talk to on a day-to-day basis. Like I mentioned before, social media has allowed me to connect with people outside of the country, as I have a penpal from the UK and another from Poland. I am always excited to learn about their daily lives and to get to know them.
A Love Letter to Writing Letters
Since I have started junk-journaling, I have loved scrapbooking papers and placing stickers haphazardly to decorate the paper and envelopes, just to add my own touch to the letters. I want people to receive my letters and know my signature of junk. Junk, to me, is not a negative word, and I love using it to give things extra life.
Writing is calming to me. Even writing articles has been a decompressing activity. However, writing to someone you love and want to dedicate time to is really important to me. It not only allows me to show them that I care, it shows me that they care. They want to communicate with me just as much as I want to communicate with them.
Though I probably won’t be writing to my parents when I am home for summer break, I have collected many penpals to continue writing to keep myself busy and to fill up my summer days. Writing to others has truly brought me joy and I find it has made me live my life with more intention, not just for myself, but for other people as well.