Pick Up A Pen ~ Send Some Love
How to Celebrate Universal Letter Writing Week
Did you know that the week of January 9th is Universal Letter Writing Week?
In a world where people communicate on the fly through text, email, and social media, the practice of letter writing may seem archaic and unnecessary. The conduit of information from our brains to our hands flows so much faster when it pours onto an electronic screen that includes a send button. We are sorely out of practice when it comes to handling a pen and scratching words onto a piece of stationary or the blank space inside a card.
But what if the goal of letter-writing isn’t just the mundane flow of information? What if a handwritten card or letter carries so much more meaning than a text that wooshes from your smart phone while in line at the grocery store? Would it be worth the effort?
The post office recently delivered a letter to my mailbox, the age of the sender dated by the flowing, handwritten script on the envelope.
Virginia is the friend of my elderly father who lives in another state. She plays the piano at Dad’s church with all the energy and skill of a virtuoso, even though her 83-year-old frame is just under five-feet tall. I met her a few months ago at a lunch gathering where I enjoyed the cheerful patter of her conversation and her exuberant interactions with the servers at the restaurant.
“Now if anything is troubling you at all, you come right over here and let us pray for you. God loves you and so do we!” She seemed to really mean it—her lyrical voice unapologetically bold and full of good will. I smiled at the look of surprise and mild confusion that covered the face of our young waitress. “I guess I’ll have to get back to you on that,” she said.
It’s been a little tough living so far away from Dad, even though he’s a spry 86-year-old guy who lives independently with all his wits about him. So Virginia’s handwritten note carried a loving message that I now treasure:
“Our little group is watching over your dad. He’s had some lonely, stressful times, but God led us to make sure we are there for him. I hope this helps you to feel at peace.”
What a comforting expression of love and concern. I hadn’t even told her that I sometimes worried about Dad. She just seemed to know. And she did what people of her era still do—she sent me a letter.
I kept her letter, the date noted in the upper right-hand margin, her lovely, scripted writing an echo from a time when students received grades for penmanship. I also wrote back to her, thanking her for her thoughtfulness.
Have you ever received a hand-written letter that lifted your spirits, made you feel loved, or connected you with someone you hadn’t heard from in a long while? Wouldn’t it be a great idea to share this experience with someone who needs some encouragement?
The art of letter writing has hit an all-time low. Fourteen percent of people in the U.S. have never written a letter and eighteen percent have never given a hand-written thank you note. Maybe the folks who created Universal Letter Writing Week (no, it’s not the US Postal Service) are on to something.
Here are some great ideas that may motivate you to participate in Universal Letter Writing Week:
- Write a letter to an elder—the non-profit organization Love for Our Elders helps isolated seniors feel connected and cared for through letter-writing. Love for Our Elders provides information each month on elders who want to receive letters from people who care. You can find out more at https://loveforourelders.org/letter-requests.
- Send a letter to an elderly relative—it could be someone you’ve lost touch with over the years, but with whom you share some happy memories. Remind them of these special times and be sure to let them know they matter to you.
- Kids love to receive mail—send a letter or card to nephews, nieces, and grandchildren to let them know you’re thinking about them. You can also include funny stories, artwork, photos, riddles, and fun facts.
- Check with your church to find out about folks in your faith community who are ill or elderly and in need of a note of encouragement.
We’re all still struggling with ongoing fallout from the coronavirus pandemic that continues to separate us from our fellow humans. Sending encouraging, handwritten mail not only lifts other’s spirits but can also serve as a powerful remedy for our own feelings of isolation and loneliness.
Thank you for the reminder. I have a small pen pal that I haven’t heard from since Halloween.
Thank you for the reminder, Lisa. I agree that it’s a real treat to receive a handwritten letter. Since the sender also gets a happiness boost, it’s a win-win.
Oh my gosh – I loved this blog! You are so right the art of letter writing has been run over, run down, and almost entirely lost to our smart phones. I think this is why I love old postcards because people wrote on them and it fascinates me. Old letters are often found at estate sales. It is sad to me in a way. I will often buy them – it’s like rescuing someone’s memories. This blog inspires me to write some letters. Thank you for the list of suggestions. Beautiful blog post my friend.
Thank you for your delightful response! I love receiving your ancient postcards Janet and you are right – they are just like reclaiming someone’s life.
A lovely blog, Lisa. As a former English teacher of high school juniors and seniors, I taught my students how to write a decent thank you note, and they wrote the notes of appreciation for the high school Booster Club when it got donations. I also taught them (who included my own four kids) to resist using a gifted item (even cashing a check) until they’d written the thank you note.
Covid has created a heartbreak of loneliness for senior citizens who are in senior living or nursing homes. They miss their people! Letters truly help erase some of that.
You have instilled this important skill and gracious attitude among your students and kids. You model and invite this type of activity, especially for your own dear mom who is now in a senior living home. Thanks for showing us the way!
I accept the challenge, thank you for the reminder. I’m sure my uncle would love to hear from me.
Let us know how it turns out!
Lisa, I love how these thoughts come to you and you share to inspire people.
I have really great memories as a young man in the military, overseas.
Sometimes you might wait weeks at mail call, hoping that you might be one of the lucky ones to receive anything from home. The overseas envelopes had red, white and blue around the edges and it made you feel American, no matter where you were at in the world. I can remember taking a letter and walking off into the jungle or going out on the beach, to savor every word. Also, a letter could be saved and reread numerous times, including when you needed an attitude adjustment. To get the smells of home and seeing the difference in writing styles was always interesting. I don’t find myself doing this with texts on my phone much. Many times, I might take an hour and drink a beer, while I would read and imagine being with that person who sent the letter. Amazingly, in some way, a personal letter was enough of an emotional boost that any feeling of homesick or FOMO would always subside. This always seemed to soothe my heart, until the next time I was lucky enough to get my name called at mail call. In many ways the people who wrote the letters and sent packages always offered me encouraging thoughts when it seemed I needed them most. These friends and family would become my closest circle of relationships. The fact that someone would care enough to stop whatever they were doing to take time out of their day to write me a letter was a blessing every time. Thanks for the letter memories!