The Creative Art of Letter Writing
When I was a child, letter writing was a primary way of communicating between people near and far.
I remember in elementary school, probably Fourth Grade or so, my homeroom teacher, who was also my English teacher, assigned each of us a pen-pal. Our pen-pals were from a class that was somewhat like ours in terms of age but they were from a rural versus our suburban community and lived in the Midwest in contrast to the Northeast where our class resided. Each week my classmates and I wrote a letter to our pen-pal and received a letter from them.
The topics of my letters varied. I recall writing letters about my family, holidays, vacations and my friends. My pen-pal wrote me about her life too that was different in some ways from mine because of where we lived but there were plenty of similarities too. With each letter our friendship grew. As it turned out we continued to write letters to each other for several years after, finally dwindling to an annual catch-up holiday card and the occasional card for milestone events. Isn’t it is amazing that after many decades, we still corresponded at all?
How fortunate I am that my Fourth Grade childhood letter writing assignment turned me into a passionate letter writer. The care, thought, and time taken to sit and write a letter is an art form lost by many in today’s world. Sadly, it has become acceptable to correspond by email and text messaging, in lieu of sending even the most basic thank-you note or invitation. Condolences and congratulations are hastily transcribed through technology and e-card services these days, and no one bats an eyelash.
Happily, there are still a few of us left who value and pursue letter writing. I am blessed to have a special friend named Sue who was one of my son Danny’s teachers. For over twenty years, in memory of my beautiful boy who passed to heaven that number of years ago, Sue sends me a card to remember every anniversary, birthday and holiday relating to my son. She sends these treasured cards and notes so I never forget that Danny is remembered and that I am remembered too on these sacred and difficult days. Truly, Sue’s compassion and kindness expressed in her beautiful cards and letters are among my greatest treasures.
Wouldn’t it be a wonderful creative project to start your own letter writing revival, especially now when family members and friends live far apart, and travel is restricted or untenable? The process of designing original stationary or cards would be so much fun. Even selecting from thousands of store-bought greeting cards and stationary is a creative pursuit that can be personalized when you use colorful pens, stickers or sealing wax. Mostly, the creativity is in the art of the letter writing itself.
The art of letter writing is a wonderful way to express yourself that has incredible benefits for your own well-being and the recipient of your thoughtful gesture. Unlike a text or email that will be deleted, a handwritten letter is a piece of your heart and mind that will endure forever.
Linda Joy Walder
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Linda Joy Walder
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