A Lost Art

Often times we get so caught up in our fast paced world we forget to slow down and appreciate the little things in life. Lately I have realized how meaningful hand written letters truly are. I believe that writing someone a personal letter is a lost art that our "we want it now" society unfortunately no longer practices.

While I was home last month before I moved to New York, I found all the old letters my Grandpa wrote to my Grandma while he was serving in the Navy during WWII. My Grandma had kept every single letter my Grandpa ever wrote her, from the time they first met until his tour was over. I began to read some of the letters and just sit there in awe of them.

Everyone always hears about love letters and sees them in movies, but very seldom does anyone experience them first hand. I would sit there and read about the love my Grandpa had for my Grandma and would be amazed. He would spend a whole letter telling her how beautiful she was, how he missed her and how she was the love of his life. It would almost make me tear up they were so beautiful. This is when my appreciation for hand written letters was renewed.

Taking time out of your day to sit down and hand write a letter is a very thoughtful thing to do. A text/e-mail/Facebook message doesn't have the same meaning/personal touch that goes into writing a letter. The letter doesn't have to be a love letter either. It can be telling an old friend you miss her, updating a family member about your life or whatever you want. It's not what the letter is about, it's what goes into the letter that counts.

Once I arrived in New York, I decided I want to continue my new found appreciation for letters. The first week I arrived I wrote my Grandma and my friend in Virginia a letter. Since then I have decided to start writing my niece and nephew, along with a few other people I have not talked to in years as well.

It takes at least 2-3 days for the letter to arrive once mailed, the person has to write you back and then it takes another 2-3 days for you to receive their letter. While this may seem like a long time, it's exciting in a way. It makes you look forward to something.

Also, who doesn't enjoy receiving something unexpected in the mail (besides bills/junk mail)?? Whenever I receive a letter/gift in the mail, it makes me happy to know someone else took their own personal time to do something for me. It shows the person was thinking about you even when you didn't even know.

I know your probably thinking that you don't have time to go to the Post Office and use "snail mail," but I promise you that you do. I encourage everyone to slow down and take time to write someone a letter. Whether it be a family member, friend, or someone who you haven't talked to in forever, I guarantee they will appreciate it.

I know it may sound cheesy, but I promise it will be more rewarding than sending an e-mail or text. It doesn't have to be an every day thing. The next time you think about someone in your life and want to make their day a little brighter, sit down and write them a note. You never know how badly they might need it and what an impact it can end up making in their life.

If anyone would like for me to add them to my list, just let me know and I'll go out and buy some more stationary right now. I would feel honored to write anyone and give them another opportunity to smile about life.