Remember when you were little and couldn’t wait to get something in the mail? Before phones, text messages and emails, letters were the primary source of long-distance communication between people.
I’ve always liked getting letters or cards in the mail. There’s a certain excitement knowing that something so small has traveled so far, from city to city, to get to your mailbox; knowing that someone took the time to sit down and write words woven together just for you.
What makes a good letter? The best letters aren’t necessarily the fanciest – just the most honest. It’s personal. It’s a conversation completely on paper. You don’t even have to be an English major write well. You can use big or small words; it can be a few paragraphs or several pages. You could write about the awful weather you’re experiencing or the awesome internship you just scored. It’s about telling the recipient your thoughts, ideas, and feelings.
There are many opportunities to write letters:
Friends and Family
Write letters to them describing the variety of happenings in your life just for the fun of it! Unless it’s something that requires time-sensitive response, they’ll appreciate the thought. When I was in middle school, I shared a journal with my friends. We would write letters to each other, describing our days. Try this with your sister or uncle!
Love Letters
No other letter can compare. Sending flowers, in my mind, has nothing on a good love letter. The fact that a guy willing took the time to write a lengthy expression of his feelings for you is something to be applauded. It’s been said that it kept some marriages strong.
President Truman wrote love letters to his wife, as did Jackie Robinson and Pierre Curie. There’s even a book called “Love Letters of Great Men”- a collection of various letters from various historical figures.
Letters to Soldiers
These are possibly the best letters you could spend your tiem writing. Many servicemen are without loved ones, or miss the families they do have millions of miles away. It’s a small way to support them, which they greatly appreciate. If you want to send letters to these amazing men and women you can go here www.amillionthanks.org or here http://soldiersangels.org/letter-writing-team.html
Write away, collegiettes!