The Art of Letter Writing

I think one of my favorite things in the world is receiving a letter via good old snail mail. I don't write this to encourage an onslaught of letters to my mailbox, but simply to comment on the lost art that is letter writing.

Early last week, shortly after the news that I had been nominated for the Peace Corps, I received a lime green envelope in the mail with my name on it. The return address said that it was from Lauren, in my book club, who is getting married in May. I automatically figured it was an invite to the bachelorette party in a few weeks, or something wedding-related. When I opened the envelope and found the word "Congratulations" on the front of the card, I was a little confused, but figured it was a clever way of congratulating me on being a part of the bachelorette shindig. :)

Imagine my surprise when I open the card to find a note congratulating me on my recent nomination to the Peace Corps. To say that I was shocked, is an understatement. I couldn't figure out why I was so stunned, but I was absolutely all smiles. I had just seen Lauren that weekend for book club, and with all of her wedding planning I couldn't grasp that this little letter in my hands was for me.

So, naturally I've been thinking about it since then, pondering what it is about a hand-written letter received in the mail that is so precious. I think it all boils down to the realization that sending a letter in the mail requires that one go out of their way - even just a little bit. These days, it is so easy to sign on to your email account and quickly type a little note to your friends or family, that the thought of having to pull out a piece of paper (or purchase a card) and grab your pen and write out a note to someone (not to mention the postage) seems like a lot of work.

I was involved in a conversation a few months back about the "Thank You Card". When I was growing up, Ryan and I were forced to sit down every year after Christmas and birthdays and write out our thank yous to grandparents, aunts, cousins, friends, etc. I remember dreading this chore. When you've just received a baby doll that crawls on the floor, the last thing you want to do is abandon said doll and write about how happy it makes you! But, nonetheless we were required each and every year to write these letters. Of course, these letters waned as we stopped being reminded (in our teens) by Mom to write them. And now, I rarely write them.

But, realizing that in a few short months my main method of communicating with family and friends will be through these hand-written, postally-delivered letters, I should probably start brushing up on this lost art. I don't think I even have a current address book!