Since humans developed some form of the written word, letter writing has become a way to communicate with our loved ones, colleagues, and even enemies. From the tablet of Nanni to Ea-nasir dated around 1750BC — one of the oldest known customer complaints — to the yearning, tragic letters of Heloise and Abelard, epistolary correspondence serves as a record of our rawest emotions. And there’s a certain romanticism to writing to someone on actual paper (or stone tablet if you want to be extra) instead of emails, texts, or voice notes.
So we’re making a bid to bring back old school letter writing. So here’s 5 reasons to bring back the lost art of letter writing:
1. A handwritten message is a gift that bears your personal mark
Unlike online forms of communication, a letter comes with your own personal touch: your handwriting. You may sometimes wish that your handwriting was neater or that your 3rd grade teacher spent a little more time on that cursive unit, but ultimately, your handwriting represents you. And that’s what the people who love you (and want to hear from you) will receive in addition to your chosen words.
2. You can get fancy with your stationery and tools
As craft supply enthusiasts and former Gelly Roll Pen collectors (IYKYK), we love how letter writing lets us either experiment with our stationery or dial-in on a “signature” style. Whether you want to hand deliver your letters, tuck them into birthday gifts, or send them via post or carrier pigeon, we recommend finding some paper that is just the right weight and texture to delight your senses, stickers and washi tape to add a little oomph as desired, and an ink pen that writes smoothly without skipping.
3. It’s a gateway to becoming a full-blown philatelist
You may not have any ambitions of becoming a stamp collector, but you can still enjoy and use stamps that aren’t just the boring, standard issue American flag forever stamps. The U.S. Postal Service always has a delightful and sometimes downright odd collection of stamps to choose from. At the moment, we’re especially enamored with these baby animal stamps, these Goodnight Moon ones, and this Dungeons & Dragons set.
4. You can keep up with the device-free set
We’re not just talking about grandparents who avoid smartphones like the plague, though we know they’ll always appreciate a handwritten correspondence. Letter writing (or better yet, postcard writing) is a great way to connect with the kids in your life, especially as they’re learning to read and write. Many of us on Spinsters Row are self-proclaimed cool aunts, and we love writing our niblings little notes and doodles on postcards, then dropping them in the mail. The notes we get back are priceless and perfect for scrapbooking — but that’s a post for another day.
5. Your mailbox gets to be more than a junk repository
Do you remember the last time your mailbox held anything other than grocery store mailers, outstanding bills, and credit card offers? Opening your mailbox should sometimes spark a thrill of anticipation rather than dread or boredom. When you go all in on that pen pal life, your mailbox will become more than a junk drawer. It’ll become a portal to real connection with the people in your life.
