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Three Reasons Why You Should Keep Sending Letters

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Pen and letter stationary for someone writing lettersToday, more than ever, staying in touch with friends and family is about speed and convenience. We shoot our Dad a quick two-sentence email and text our BFFs a few heart emojis while asking about their days. Interestingly, while mobile phones do seem to be smarter than ever, it seems very few people actually use them to call others—we would rather send a text or post on their social media pages than sit down over coffee or—gasp—write them an actual letter.

But when you think about it, there are a wide variety of reasons why you should keep on sending letters….real letters, mind you, written on actual paper and sent through the mail. As for why you should still send letters to your friends and family, please consider the following:

One: It Keeps Your Writing Skills Sharp

Between spell check on our computers and our super fast text-speak including common abbreviations like LOL and OMG, we may be losing our knack for spelling and grammar. But when you sit down with a blank piece of stationery and a pen and get ready to tell your Mom about your week, suddenly these skills are once again very important. Composing letters on a regular basis will allow you to work on a number of areas of writing including sentence structure, spelling, and style, which are definitely important skills to have.

Two: It Helps Your Relationships

As Writing Cooperative notes (1), you probably have a number of people in your life that mean a lot to you, including close friends, elderly relatives, and siblings. While you might not see them as often as you would like, you cherish your relationships with these people. A good way to show them how much they mean to you is to take the time to write them a letter; even if it takes three times as long as an email or a few texts. Setting aside the time to write a note or send a funny card will help show your loved ones that you truly care about them and that you are willing to take time out of your busy life to stay in touch. On those days when they are feeling blue, tired and/or under the weather, your friends and family can pull your letters out of a drawer and re-read them for a quick pick-me-up—chances are good they won’t get the same feeling by scrolling through dozens of “LOL” texts filled with emojis.

Three: People Love It…and You May Get Letters Back

Remember when you were little and you were delighted when your Grandma sent you a birthday card? You loved getting mail then, and you probably enjoy getting mail now…except that most of the time it’s junk mail and bills. If you want to spread joy to the people you love most, help them recapture the thrill of opening the mailbox and finding an envelope hand addressed to them. For the price of a stamp and some of your time, you will make their day by sending letters…and if you are fortunate, your friends and family members may return the favor by sending you a hand-written note in reply.

Do People Still Write Letters?

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Pen and letter stationary for someone writing lettersWhen you were a little kid, do you remember how thrilling it was to receive a postcard from your Aunt and Uncle who were vacationing in Canada, or a birthday card from your Grandparents? You might have also had a pen pal who you corresponded with on a regular basis, sharing stories about your lives on college ruled paper you borrowed from your Pee Chee folder, or on fancy stationery that your mom gave you.

Now that you are older, and you have once again brought in a huge pile of junk mail and bills from your mailbox, you might understandably be wondering “Do people still write letters anymore?”

While the advent of email combined with our busy lives may make it seem like letter writing (on real paper!) is a forgotten art, it doesn’t have to be. For instance, a good, old-fashioned written letter can accomplish a number of things, including the following:

It Can Make You, the Letter Writer, Happier

As it turns out, that sense of elation you feel when you get a letter is not limited to the sender. The person who sits down and pens a letter can also feel happier, especially if you are sharing positive feelings with the person to whom you are writing. If you tell your friends on paper how much they mean to you and that you enjoy spending time with them, it will brighten their day, as well as yours.

Letters Can Be Kept For Years

Chances are good that you delete most of your emails and texts are also purged from your phone. But as LifeHack notes (1), a wonderful physical letter that you receive from a dear friend or relative can be treasured for years to come. On those days when you are feeling down or nostalgic, you can re-read the funny birthday cards and notes sent to you by your friends and relatives, along with the chatty letters your dad sent you when you were in college. There is also something about a letter that illustrates how much the writer cares about you. Rather than dash out a few sentences on the computer, the person who wrote you a letter had to purchase paper, choose which color pen to use, buy stamps, sit down and write the letter and then mail it to you—all of these tasks combined take way more time than a hasty email and convey a strong message of “You are special to me.”

Tips on Letter Writing

If reading this article has you thinking “I need to write a letter!” you can definitely fit it into your busy schedule. The next time you are at the grocery store, pick up a box of blank cards and a book of stamps from the cashier; this way, when you have some free time, it will be easy to get started. Who you write to is up to you—if your friends are aware that you want to start penning notes again, they may flat out tell you “Write me a letter!” You can also write your parents (you may wish to warn them that a letter is on the way so they don’t pass out from the shock of hearing from you), your grandparents, co-workers who have done something nice to you, young nieces and nephews, and/or the nice receptionist at your doctor’s office who always remembers your name and is so kind.

Once you get your first letter sent, check out even more reasons on why you should KEEP writing letters!

Why You Should Keep Sending Letters

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Why should you keep writing and sending letters? You might think that snail mail is dead or maybe you don’t know how to write nice letters, but there’s something about physical letters that takes correspondence to another level. Taking the time to focus on and write a special friend or family member is a great way to make them feel loved.

When they open the mailbox and see their name on that envelope, they’ll know that they are important to you. Writing people letters gives them the opportunity to write you back so that you can have the pleasure of receiving mail as well. You don’t have to be a good writer to write great letters to your friends and family. Regardless of the quality of your prose they will appreciate the time and effort you put into it.

Writing letters is also great because it gives you the opportunity to sit down and reflect on your time with that person and how you feel about them. It’s therapeutic to set aside time to yourself to sit and write out your thoughts. It’s more cathartic than an email or text message because of the physical aspect. You take your thoughts and physically put them out on the paper.

If you start running out of things to say or just want to add a special touch to your letter, you can add a piece of original art. It could be a silly doodle or a thoughtful portrait. Illustrate an inside joke or an event you described in the pages of your writing.

If you’re in a relationship, writing a letter to your partner is a great way to connect with them and express your feelings perhaps easier than trying to just say them. If there’s an issue you’re trying to resolve, it can be easier to straighten your thoughts out on paper and deal with some emotions to avoid escalating the situation.

Love letters nowadays are rare, and what better way to say I love you than to write them a sweet note. Like I said before, a letter is physical so your partner can keep it and look back on it as time goes on. It’s a great way of capturing your relationship and the emotions you feel at that point in time. Later in life you can read them together and appreciate how far you’ve come.

Letters are very customizable, so don’t forget to make it yours. You can make your own envelopes, experiment with different kinds of stamps, and choose your own special stationary. Try making writing a letter a regular routine, whether it be once a week or once a month. See how it works for you. Don’t worry about how to write nice letters, and just write your letters.

Besides letters, check out a few things we bet you didn’t know you could mail here.