With the technological innovations of e-mail, texting, and even video chatting, snail mail has become a thing of the past. There seems to be so many cons of writing a letter –delivery time takes longer and not to mention the act of licking the envelope (yuck!). However, there is still some comfort in receiving a hand written letter from a friend or loved one. These pros definitely outweigh the cons. It shows that someone took time out of his or her day to think of you. While many think that it is so much easier to send a message through cyber space, how hard is it to take five minutes out of your day and write a letter? Keeping in touch may have become easier, but it isn’t always as effective.
How many times have you opened an email and smiled? Unless it’s an email from a professor about class being cancelled, I’m rarely enthralled. But when I get a letter in the mail, there is a sense of excitement that washes over me. Who is it from? What are they saying? I can’t wait to uncover the answers to these questions. (There is also a small part inside of me that feels a sort of revenge in ripping open an envelope that probably tasted very bitter.) Snail mail is so refreshing; it is a nice change of pace from the technology-crazed world in which we live. Plus, the stationary is too cute to pass up! I absolutely adore these cute cupcakes from Etsy. How could opening an envelope containing one of these sweet treats not make your day instantly better?
The best way to expect to receive a letter is to send a letter. Even on my busiest days, I feel obligated to respond when someone writes me. I also like to think that the people I write to feel the same way. I just can’t wait to pick up a pen and express my gratitude for the piece of paper that found its way into my mailbox.
But of course, letters aren’t the only thing you can send in the mail. My friends and I keep in touch by means of a scarf. We weren’t blessed with a magic pair of jeans like the girls from The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, so we had to find something else that would get the job done. Each time we send the scarf, we include a letter about what we did while wearing it. It is our way of staying connected even though we are thousands of miles apart. The simple fact of knowing that we still share something, keeps our friendship alive. While we keep in touch through social media, nothing compares to getting the handwritten letter attached to the magical scarf.
Of course there are millions of creative ways to keep in touch. For example, my roommate and her friends keep a composition notebook full of their trials and tribulations. They even decorated it!
After two weeks of journaling, they send it to the next person. Instead of just one letter, you get letters from three or four people simultaneously. I think the notebook is an awesome idea because everyone gets to experience the letters. It’s like the snail mail version of a group chat. Keeping in touch doesn’t have to be hard. The possibilities are endless!