As technology has advanced and social media has become a part of our everyday life it can seem as though everything is condensed down to instant connections. Like so many of us I email, tweet, facebook and blog but a part of me remains drawn to the handwritten letter.
Ever since I can remember I’ve loved the act of putting pen to paper. I don’t have the prettiest handwriting, and I may not always have something interesting to say, but I often find myself compelled to write.
As someone who has a hard time expressing herself I’ve found that written words can form a bridge. They allow me to convey things I find myself unable to say and to be more intimate and personal.
When my sister and I found ourselves an ocean apart I felt a familiar tug pulling at my sleeve. Instinctively we turned to writing as our preferred form of communication. We get to share snippets of our daily lives, ponder answers to many of life’s questions, relay random musings, seek and give advice, reminisce over childhood memories, tell of new experiences and so much more. The words we choose to spill onto paper convey something deeper and have enabled us to form a unique bond.
More recently I found myself connecting with two wonderful pen pals that I was fortunate to meet through a photography blog. While I’ve never met these women in person I feel a special connection to them through the words they write.
Whether from a loved one or a friend, the anticipation of waiting for a letter is only outweighed by the excitement of receiving one. Each letter is a true gift. It’s personal in a way that email and text messages can never be. The sender had to physically connect with it. They touch the pen to paper, think of you as they write and then seal and mail it. It contains a part of them.
Letters are a window into the past, a record of who and where we were at a particular time. To me they’re like treasured possessions and if my house were to catch on fire they’d be among one of the first things I would grab.
I often find myself re-reading letters I’ve received and experiencing their magic all over again. I can’t help but wonder who will hold them in their hands and read them some day.
Do you send handwritten letters? How does it make you feel to receive one?
Cross-posted today over at Vision and Verb - a place where a collaborative group of like-minded women from all over the world share life experiences and unique perspectives.
Also linking with Nancy at A Rural Journal for Your Sunday Best.
After reading the responses to my Handwritten Connections post this Sunday it got me thinking . . . . . dangerous I know.
