Dear Reader,
When I say I’ve been getting into writing letters recently, most people immediately picture their grandma, hunched over with her ink and quill, writing letters because she doesn’t understand how to send a text or email. And while this is one form of letter writing, I invite you to broaden your horizons. Instead of seeing letters as just another old-fashioned, outdated form of communication, think of them as you would any other creative outlet: as a way to better understand yourself and the world around you.
Letters as a diary
At one point or another, almost everyone I know has tried to start some sort of diary or journal — to varying degrees of success. While this works for some, it is an exhausting commitment for many. It can feel daunting to both write consistently and be confronted with that writing each time you open your notebook.
By contrast, writing letters can be much more spontaneous and conversational. I write letters not because I feel pressured to develop a habit, but because penning my innermost thoughts and feelings to paper allows me to process my emotions in a safe, no-risk environment. This is especially true when it comes to reflecting on people and experiences from my past. To me, letter writing is a tool to strengthen my interactions with others, not replace them. I can say in my letters everything I can’t say out loud. I can linger with those feelings for as long as I’d like, and when the time comes, I can seal them up and move on with my life.
What you decide to do with these letters after they’re written is entirely up to you. You can send them, burn them or store them in a box, Lara Jean from “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” style. The actual letters themselves aren’t what matters, it’s the catharsis you feel while writing them that does.
letters as a time capsule
If you do decide to keep your letters, then you open yourself up to the magic of rediscovering them years down the line, whether intentionally or unintentionally. In that way, writing letters is the closest we can get to traveling through time. I set myself up to experience this at the beginning of the year. On Jan. 1, I wrote myself a letter to be opened exactly one year from now. You might have done a similar activity in high school. I can’t wait to tear open the seal and marvel at all that has, or hasn’t, changed. Finding old letters my young self wrote to my present self is always such a heartwarming, bittersweet experience. It reminds me of how far I’ve come and how far I still have left to go.
letters as a sign of affection
Of course, you don’t always have to keep your letters a secret. I love giving my friends heartfelt cards around the holidays or special occasions to remind them how much they mean to me. Though I would say all those things out loud to them in a heartbeat, there is something thrilling about getting to write it all down and watch their faces as they read.
letters as self-love
Whether you write letters for yourself or others, there is no denying that the process has the potential to reveal great personal truths. Since picking up this hobby, I have learned so much about myself and the way I perceive the world. If you are like me, struggling to make sense of a multitude of conflicting thoughts and feelings, then maybe letter writing is for you. Who knows? At the very least, you’ll have something to talk to your grandma about at your next family gathering.
Sincerely,
Clarke Dunn