Pick up the Pen: Why We Need Snail Mail

I recently read The Correspondent by Virginia Evans.  Have you read it?  Aside from really enjoying the writing, the storyline, and the book club discussion it generated, it made me think about letter-writing.  Yes, handwritten notes via snail mail.  The act of writing a letter is something we just don't have time for and with the digital era, why would we?  Connection is a text away, an email away, a video call away.  Do you remember getting letters in the mail though?  I do.  The joy!  The anticipation of opening the envelope and reading the writer's thoughts, gossip, and adventures was palpable and so exciting. 

Many of us had a childhood pen pal, cultivated by a grade school exchange program as a way to teach us about the proper way to write a letter.  But more importantly, it exposed us to other people, how they lived and thought, taught us about community and empathy, and consequently made our world bigger.  What a brilliant concept. 

Later in adulthood, I exchanged letters with an incredible family member.  He was a WW2 Veteran, an accomplished businessman, and a benefactor to a large local university.  We had Italy in common.  He wrote me letters about his time in the War, the love he had for the Italian people and the culture.  I told him about my life with a young family, I think I asked him more than I shared!  We wrote to one another until he died.  I have the entire collection now - a treasured paper conversation filled with joy, curiosity, and wisdom. 

Letters make me feel special - the writer took the time to tell me what was on their mind.  Unlike typing, where editing happens with a backspace key, writing by hand leaves a permanent mark. With writing, you have to think ahead, to phrase things with care, and to accept imperfections (remember White-Out?). It was a connection far away, and yet intimately close.  The paper, the ink, the handwriting - the writer selected, handled, and bestowed these to me.  Having a tangible artifact to hold, tuck away, and reread years later gives it a weight that a digital message can never replicate. 

"The letter is a close-up. It is a slow, deeply considered touch across a distance." — Phyllis Rose, American biographer

I'd like to encourage you to think about how we currently communicate in our digital lives. Is it thoughtful? Is it authentic? Is it empathetic? Perhaps we should focus on our own pace.  Consider slowing down, pick up a comfortable pen and special paper (or even a card!), and write to a family member or an old friend.  Instead of seeing distance as something to be shortened by a text, a letter turns that distance into something intimate. It transforms communication from a quick exchange into a mindful, deliberate gesture of care - not just towards the recipient, but also our own.

Because you deserve more than just a break.