A Love Letter to Love Letters
My family impressed upon me the importance of letters. Once I could read, my grandparents would mail me cards for every holiday, writing updates on the weather in Wisconsin, what card games they had been playing, and how they looked forward to the next time we would see each other. I certainly took these for granted until I was well into my teens. I would oftentimes recruit the help of my mom to translate their loopy cursive handwriting, so she would read their messages aloud to me.
Every Christmas was also naturally full of letter writing and receiving. When I was still young, I would write a letter to Santa to list off what I wanted for Christmas. After Christmas had passed and my sisters and I returned home, my mom would sit us down and we would write thank-you notes to each person that gave us a gift. At the time, licking the envelopes, writing the address, and applying the stamps was mere drudgery.
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Once I was in middle school, I began collecting the numerous letters and notes I received every year. From the heartfelt holiday cards of my grandparents to funny letters from my friends on my birthday to notes with handmade drawings from my dad, it seemed unjust to throw them away. So, I stored them. As I aged, my shelf that contained the letters filled up, the envelopes sliding as the stacks of cards toppled over.
I caught on to the sentimentality of writing letters. For parents and friends, I began to make my own cards, drawing little images on the front, leading to a pun on the inside of the card. I became very partial to love letters, writing pages and pages for special occasions during my high school relationship. The giving and receiving of letters garnered a special place in my expression of care for those around me.
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This year, I realized I had no pictures of friends or family as decorations in my room. Looking through my bedroom at home for pictures to take back to school, I stumbled upon my shelf of letters. This is better than pictures, I thought. I slid a thick stack of cards into my bag and brought them to school. Now spanning the wall in my room is an assortment of cards from various people in my life, addressing various occasions and milestones that I have experienced. The assortment of letters is expanding, growing in all directions as I still receive letters in the mail and the holidays go by every year.
A heartfelt letter is perhaps the greatest gift of all. No other gift will be as unique to you and the person giving or receiving the letter. Having the handwriting of a loved one is having a piece of them, their voice, their personality. With Valentine’s Day coming up, I encourage you to write an old-fashioned, hand-written letter for a loved one, friends, or family. Not only will it let them know how you care about them, but it may inspire them to do the same.
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P.S., save the postal service!
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