As a child, we moved not only from house to house, but several times between provinces. One of these transitions was at the age of fifteen. New province. New neighborhood. New school. New church. That was hard.
I was leaving friends I had known for about seven years. We had all attended the same small Christian school, so our class didn't change much as we advanced grades. We were a close bunch. Thirteen of my classmates agreed to become penpals with me. I took this letter writing very seriously, since it was my lifeline during a difficult time. A few of my friends ended up writing for several years. One in particular is one of my best and dearest friends to this day, and we still communicate, but mostly through texting or phone calls (she lives in another province).
Some days I really miss handwritten letters. They are tangible and feel more personal, I guess partly because they are often written in someone's own handwriting (vs typed) . A letter or card feels more like a gift. Often the writer's personality is reflected through the stationary used. Sometimes a small gift is tucked inside. I still have a box of letters saved from my younger days. It is one of my prized possessions.
I'm not naive enough to think that letter writing will make a comeback. Emails, texts, and messages are much too convenient, which makes them more likely to occur. I do love that!
Do you regularly send letters or cards through the mail? If you could choose between a friend's multi page handwritten letter once every two months or random emails, which would you choose?
