Trends come and go, whether it is using record players, typewriters or polaroids. But because of quarantine, letters have made a comeback. They never really left, but it is typically not people’s preferred method of communication, when everyone is just a text away. Since most of the country is under a stay-at-home order, we cannot see friends as often or be as close as we would like. One great solution my friends and I discovered was writing letters to each other.
Writing letters is not a new hobby for me. Last summer, I worked as a camp counselor where the only form of communication we had with the outside world was through letters. After camp, my friends and I decided to keep writing letters to each other because we would all be going our own ways. However, due to COVID-19, more of my friends decided to send letters, given that it would be one of the few special ways we could still keep our bonds.
Although writing a letter might not be appealing at first because of how time-consuming it can be, there is so much more to love than to dread. Everything that is negative about texting is thrown out the window with letters. Instead of getting a little annoyed when someone does not text back fast enough, I am excited about the waiting period from when I send a letter to when I receive one.
Text messages are quick, but more impersonal. The letters I receive show my friends’ unique handwritings, stickers they took time to choose, and well thought out words. Everything about letters shows my friends’ personalities and care.
It is exciting to receive a letter, but it is also exciting to send a letter. Waiting for the person to react when they finally receive it is one of the best parts. My friends always text me a picture of the card when they get it or put it on their Instagram story. I love sending my friends stickers or gifts in the letters, so I love when I finally get their thoughts of what I sent.
A more practical reason to write letters is the fact that the U.S. Postal Service is currently struggling because of COVID-19. Every time you buy stamps and send a letter or a package, you are providing money to the service and providing jobs to people who deliver your mail. It might seem odd that such an essential system would struggle during a time when people are ordering packages more than before, but it’s true. The Postal Service was already not doing well before COVID-19 and the virus has only made matters worse.
Whether you decide to write letters to help the Postal Service or to communicate with friends in a more intimate manner, one thing is for sure: a letter from the heart means more than 50 text messages.