7 Reasons To Bring Back The Handwritten Letter

I’m not saying that I’m the best pen pal in the world because life happens and gets busy so setting aside the time to handwrite a letter can be difficult. But there are many joys that come from sending and receiving a handwritten letter that sometimes you just have to make time to do it. 

I have a handful of friends who I write letters to and it’s very casual in the sense that we don’t expect a response immediately. If anything we just send a quick text saying “Got your letter!” or “Your letter is in the mail!” just so we know that it didn’t get lost (which has happened to me before). Sometimes not even knowing to expect a letter brings a bit of excitement when you open your mailbox.  

So in honor of National Penpal Day here’s some reasons to bring back the handwritten letter.

1. It’s more meaningful! 

Honestly, as we get older most of the letters we receive in the mail are just bills and promotional offers. Even notifications from social media in our inboxes get deleted almost immediately once read. I always get excited when I see that I have a handwritten letter waiting for me in the mail. Someone who I know is trying to communicate with me and it feels great.

2. It takes time! 

When was the last time you sat down to write an actual page long letter? I’m not talking about a quick list of things to buy at the grocery store but a whole page written about your day or what’s going on. I mean, sure typing it would be a breeze and sending a quick text or message is super simple but that’s not the point.  Sitting down and writing a letter allows you to think more and develop what thoughts you’d like to share. The person who receives the letter knows this and enjoys it.

3. They can be more than just letters! 

I have a friend who is such a great artist that she draws all over the envelope so not only am I getting a nice handwritten letter but I’m getting a piece of art as well. I am not an artist at all but I love to seal the envelope with a fun or cute sticker. I’ve had plenty of people tell me they loved my letter and are holding on to the sticker by putting it on their fridge.

4. Improve your own handwriting and decipher others! 

My hand writing is not the neatest and I know and fully accept this. It is at least legible especially when compared to some of my friends who develop a squiggly-swirly type writing when they get in a hurry. That’s sort of the fun part of letter writing though isn’t it? Actually seeing someone’s handwriting rather than whatever font is used on a certain website or messaging service. You learn how to decipher their writing as if you’re solving a mystery of some sort.

5. It’s personal! 

The people who we take the time to write letters to are obviously important to us and they know that because we’ve taken the time to do so. We get a chance to write about things we wouldn’t necessarily write about on social media. They’re going to get the story first hand from us and possibly even be the only ones to ever hear about it. This helps to develop a strong friendship with whoever you may be writing to.

6. Sometimes it doesn’t even have to be a whole letter! 

When I write a letter I want to make the most of the stamp that I’m paying for. So I write two pages front and back filled with stories and tales to my friends about what I’m doing while asking or answering questions from the letter I’ve received. I travel quite a bit and so it’s easy to pick up a postcard and write a quick little message such as “Wish you were here so we could eat all this gelato together!” Then you can take it to the lobby in the hotel you’re staying at and ask them to help you mail it. Now you have a little hand written note that tells the person you’re sending it to that you care. It also helps make a conversation topic for later.

7. Fancy stationary and envelopes! 

I know I’ve mentioned drawing on envelopes and using stickers but have you seen the fancy stationary and envelopes that people have created for you to use? It’s all just super cute and half the time when I see it I snatch it up to buy because I love the look of it so I can only imagine how much my friends will love getting my letter in such a cute manner. 

So don't forget to set aside some time to write a letter to someone you care about today and show that you're thinking about them. It'll be worthwhile and could lead to a deeper connection between the two of you than you've had before.