only a portion of the letters I’ve saved
One of my aunts recently came across three boxes filled with precious documents from our relatives passed; photos, official documents, and most of all, letters. Yesterday I began a new segment in my blog, writing open letters to my heart. I typically feature stationery of some kind on my Shopaholic Saturday segment. I also briefly mentioned letter-writing as a way to keep up with friends when you feel you are losing touch with them. By now you are sensing that I have a deep fondness for the art of letter writing, aren’t you?
Though I developed a fondness for written expression early on in life, it was out of necessity that I had to use this skill for communication purposes because my family moved from Pennsylvania back out to California when I was eleven, separating my best friend and I. Over the course of several years we kept a steady stream of letters, telling one another about important events going on in our lives, funny family tidbits, drawing pictures of original comics and characters we had created together (because I had decided to be a serious writer of great and awesome novels by then, so visual aides were most helpful in these pre-production years), quoting our favorite movies and naming favorite characters in the margins and decorating every free inch with stickers. Our letter writing tapered off by high school because by then we both had access to the INTERNET! and the INTERNET! was an awesome force with which we could use not only to communication with one another, but hundreds of people from all over the planet, and discover the wonders of hotlinking, fanfiction, and virtual pets. Communication suddenly became FASTER, BETTER, EASIER! as KD’s life became filled with band, theater, boys and friends, and mine became filled with fandom, html, instant messaging and boys, the convenience of the INTERNET! took precedence over snail mail. Not completely, however, as the few long distant significant others I had during this time and I exchanged page after page of sentiment, and new friendships were forged and sealed with the start up of more letters, a sign you had truly become one of my friends as I don’t waste cute stationery and postage on just anyone.
a fraction of my stationery
I’ve often been asked if I believe email and the INTERNET! has been the downfall of letter writing. No, not really. People who were never interested in writing letters or did not engage in casual written communication in the first place were probably never going to get into it either way. If they’re merely the former, email has probably been a wonderful platform for them to use to get in touch with loved ones. If they’re the latter, they’re probably not so keen at keeping up with emails, either.
Why I prefer the art of letter writing, and what I feel is lost but rarely spoken upon when comparing virtual communication vs. letters (as most critics of email oft remark on the deterioration of language) is the keepsake part of it, the token of the actual physical letter. They remind us of a particular person, and a particular moment in our lives. Each one of the letters and postcards I received are special to me in their own unique way. I still possess all of the letters my first grade class sent to me whilst I was away at the hospital for my second (or third?) open-heart surgery. They’re written on that brown, five-lined rectangular paper often found in lower elementary grades, each containing those first efforts of written empathy. My favorite is, naturally, KD’s because she drew a yellow My Little Pony on the back. Quickly following in second is a letter from a kid named Matt Piazza, who wrote “I like you because you share your markers with me. Get well soon.”
Don’t worry, I was back in school in no time and Matt never went without access to my markers again.
Postcards from New Zealand, Syria, India, New Mexico, Easter Islands, New Orleans, Bass Lake, England and Tasmania alongside other mementos on my board.
While writing letters has never gone out of style for me, it does temporarily ebbs sometimes while I lose track of time, caught up in my own affairs, until finally one day I have a moment to rest, my brain able to relax, and my ego calm enough to stop thinking about myself and suddenly realize I have not been in touch with several friends for many moons. Oh, dear. Time to break out the stamps and set some time out to reconnect.
Letter writing only takes four ingredients:
Someone to write to.
Several paragraphs containing coherent complete sentences, preferably containing some sort of details about your goings on, musings and of course, the polite inquiry of your addressee’s health and news.
Stationery designed to your liking.
Postage.
At the very least, have some blank thank you cards lying around to use at the obligatory events in our life that require an expression of emotions and often produce a gift. Finding the right stationery is also key. I’m a big fan of the Sanrio kind – Chi Chai Monchan and Little Twin Stars being my favorite. There is also a plethora of unique, handmade designs on Etsy. Alternatively, make your own stationery! Use a template for a software program, or find a tutorial for a little more creative freedom.
Having the tools is half the battle – having the appropriately designed tools fit to your personal taste is even better. A reliable pen, a steady stream of conversation from your brain to your writing hand and you’re good as gold.
Letters are a memento; they are a window into your life. You can read them and remember the person you were then, not to mention future generations will have a better glimpse at the person you were. I may be slightly saccharine about this, and just a touch fantastical, but I honestly see letters as tiny fragments of immortality. Letters keep a certain part of us alive.
For this reason, for the love of my friends, family, and adorable, slightly obnoxious stationary, I continue my letter writing.
QUESTION: Do you enjoy writing letters?
