The Lost Art of Letter Writing

When did we become so lazy with communication? When did we lose the desire to make an effort with our words? There is nothing sweeter than receiving something in the post, handwritten, feeling that person reach from the page in the creased, worn paper, hearing voice in the sloping of their scrawls. A text message - albeit instant - is not quite the same, electronic words on an electronic screen with no personality, no warmth. Letter writing, like every other romantic gesture, seems to be a lost art.

The greatest love letters of all time are handwritten - have you ever heard of a text or email that went down in history as one of the most heart wrenching, warming texts ever created? No. And that's for a bloody good reason - it doesn't matter if your a world renowned calligrapher or if your handwriting looks like spiderman flicked his wrists all over the page, the first step to showing someone how passionate you are about them is writing it down.

Arguably the best love letter of all time comes from Johnny Cash, who wrote to his wife June on her birthday:

"Happy Birthday Princess,

We get old and get used to each other. We think alike. We read each others minds. We know what the other wants without asking. Sometimes we irritate each other a little bit. Maybe sometimes take each other for granted.

But once in awhile, like today, I meditate on it and realize how lucky I am to share my life with the greatest woman I ever met. You still fascinate and inspire me. You influence me for the better. You’re the object of my desire, the #1 Earthly reason for my existence. I love you very much.
Happy Birthday Princess.
- John"

Just imagine for a second, how it feels to receive such a gift. A persons' most intimate thoughts and feelings written down in their hand, for you to keep forever.

Sometimes a letter is also the best option for declaring something other than love - Ghandhi even wrote a letter to Hitler that questioned his savage acts, and appealed to him to use his power for the better, This was futile no doubt - but the power of a letter is knowing that the other person has received it - has seen the words written in your hand and forever has the proof, forever has the message in their mind; regardless of whether they choose to respond or not.

Writing to an old friend is something I like to do. Someone whose personality jumps from the page in their similar language and words, so much so that you can hear them in the room with you - tell me, can a text do the same job? A letter is something sacred that you can carry forever, and draw comfort from the pages when you most need it. People find comfort in the familiar scrawl of those they love, just like they do in a scent or a song or a place.

These letters don't have to be a scripture of undying love, you don't need to rewrite the constitution of the United States of America. Sometimes just leaving a post-it-note in the most suprising of places with a quick quip can be enough to remind somebody that they are the centre of your universe. What i'm trying to say is - somebody somewhere loves you, be it your lover, your best friend, your parent or maybe just the crazy old lady down the road, so every once in a while, leave them with something that they can hold on to.