Writing Letters

"To send a letter is a good way to go somewhere without moving anything but your heart." 

~Phyllis Theroux

Do you ever become excited when you see your name on an envelope with the return address indicating it's from a friend or family member? I know I do. Even if it's just an invitation, announcement, thank you card or the annual Christmas newsletters.

Of course I love the wondrous inventions of the internet with it's e-mail and Facebook. I adore cell phones with the ability to call and text others. I truly revel in instant communication. But there is something about having a letter with my name front and center delivered to my mailbox that just makes you feel special.

To be sent a letter from a family member or friend represents the love they have for you. They took the time to update you on their lives in order to keep you included. They want you to know that they care that you know. They want you to share in the excitement of their lives. They want you to know exactly how much you mean to them.

In today's world, personal letters are no longer all that common. We certainly use it for formal invitations. We use it for graduation announcements, wedding announcements, and even baby announcements. We use it for the sincere Thank You cards and the joyful Happy Birthday cards as well as the heartfelt Get Well cards. The annual Christmas newsletters are always a favorite of mine so I can be included and be aware of all the achievements and growth the family friends realized throughout the year. I love receiving any mail like that.

But personal letters? They've mostly been replaced by e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, texting and phone calls. Which undoubtedly is a fantastical thing I truly love. It allows me to be updated in real time. However, the occasional letter to know that I'm cared for is something I treasure.

There's a trick to receiving this sort of mail. You write others. When you take the time to show others you care by writing them a letter, they are more likely to write back. Or at the very least know you love them. I've been writing different people regularly since the first week of January. In the process, I've discovered I love writing others. It makes me feel so cheerful and happy and I'd totally suggest it to everyone. However, if you really want to write someone that'll write back, write to someone who doesn't really have access to real time information, such as Latter-day Saint Missionaries. They love it.

I've collected such a huge list of people to write that I'm intimated by the list as it's grown. All I have to do it take one person at a time. One person a week, or day or somesuch and before you know it, you're through and recycle back through the list.

Letters. They do special things to people's hearts.