The Lost Art of Snail Mail

What ever happened to writing letters? The good old snail mail? Sitting down and putting your thoughts to another person out on paper and adding a stamp when you’re done? It seems like no one writes letters anymore. Call me old fashioned, but I can honestly say I spend more money on stamps for the letters I write than I do on food for my refrigerator.

I love writing letters to my Grandma, my parents, my boyfriend and my friends from home. My Grandma sends me a letter almost every week. She loves to talk to me about what is going on her life, what kind of flowers she planted in her front yard and the books she is reading. She always asks me how I am doing and tells me how proud she is of me. I love writing back and forth with her and I keep all of her letters. My parents and I exchange letters usually around holidays or when they know I have had a difficult week. They know writing letters gives me a break to escape from everything else and focus on my favorite thing to do. My boyfriend also knows writing helps me relieve stress. He tells me about what’s going on back home and usually throws some sappy stuff in too. My friends from home will send me letters occasionally to let me know they miss me and they are thinking about me.

All of these letters mean so much to me. I might be considered a sentimental collector, but I don’t ever throw away these special letters. I always appreciate anyone who is willing to take the time to sit down and write a letter to me.

I think we get too focused on the immediate contact that today’s technology enables and we forget about the value of a handwritten letter. What will we look back on when we are older to help us remember? With photos only online instead of printed and emails instead of handwritten letters, this doesn’t leave much room for physical things with sentiment to helps us remember our past.

I’d like to challenge you this week. If you are someone who would normally prefer to send an email or text message instead of a handwritten letter, I encourage you to take the time to write to someone. Write a letter to a grandparent, your parents or even a friend you haven’t spoken to in awhile. I think you’ll find the time and effort spent on a letter is an enjoyable break from the fast pace life most college students have. Who knows, you might even find a real passion for physical mail. Opening my mailbox and finding a personally addressed letter is usually the highlight of my day.