Letters

Saturday, December 19, 2015 | Davilyn at Saturday, December 19, 2015 |

When was the last time you actually received a hand written letter?  I honestly cannot remember.  Thankfully I was sappy enough at one point in my life, I kept many letters sent to me  the old fashioned way, in the mail, by friends and family.  It is kind of nice to have them as a keep sake.

I have written many letters, I guess mostly because I love hand writing.  I love the feel of it.  I love the way a neatly hand written letter looks.  I love the personal intimacy it offers. I love the time one takes to do it.  I love to read the historical novels of the 1800's, where they take the time to write letters because that is all they can do.  To be accomplished enough to be able to sit down and write an intricately personal hand written letter was huge then.  Not everyone could do that.  It was a huge privilege.

Yet.... I find it is becoming a lost art.  Today I bet not even 50% of the kids who graduate high school could sit down

Grandma's old recipes

and hand write a beautiful letter, let alone read one they received. I write a letter to my two younger children, who are 16 and 18, and guess what?  They can't even read my handwriting, and I think I have pretty nice writing.  I call it a lost art because no longer do they teach cursive in the education system.  Everything is done via technology.  Sad days.

I recently picked up a beautifully hand written letter my Great Aunt had written to her family.  What a treasure.  I received a copy of some recipes written out in my Grandmother's hand writing.  Another treasure.  I guess the really sad part to me, is we have lost the intimacy of a hand written note, or letter.  I have written notebooks full of journals through the years, and yes I typed them all out over time, but nothing is quite the same as picking up an old journal, that has shared the laughter, tears, and romance of it's author.  The type written page just doesn't hold the same scent, flavor, feel, or character.

Some of my notebooks

I still write in a notebook or two, at least once every day.  It isn't always a journal notebook.  I actually keep about fifteen different notebooks on the go at any given time.  One for ideas and inspiration, a journal, a book of characters I may someday use, a brain mapping book of stories, a brain mapping book of non-fiction ideas, a notebook for church, and various others.  All hand written, all a part of me.  I hope someday my kids may find them a treasure.  If not they will toss them, and a huge part of me will be lost to them.  Sad day again, for they are my life's work in a sense.

I think I need to write more letters and notes to those I love.  Letters of appreciation.  Letters of encouragement.  Letters of my pride for them.  Letters, letters, letters.  The topics I could write letters about are endless.

I would even write a letter to you or for you, if you really wanted me to.  I do love the art of cursive writing and the art form of letter writing.  It is a form of therapy for my soul, and an art form that I enjoy.  Put a canvas and paint in front of me and we are likely to end up with a huge mess.  Ask me to write out a letter and I could make it beautiful.

Letter writing, hand writing.  Give it a whirl.  Give someone an intimate, personal, piece of you that hopefully they will cherish for years to come.