“The Lost Art of Writing Letters” by Leslie Steves

Imagine you have received a letter – not a bill or an invite to increase your credit limit – but an actual letter. A letter from a loved one, a friend, or a distant relative.

The excitement builds as you break the seal on the envelope and pull out the finely decorated stationery. The flow of the elegant handwriting draws your attention and time stands still as you read all the gentle messages. Upon reading the closing statement. “hope to hear from you,” you smile – you now have an entry into a letter writing sequence.

At this point some would be thrilled for the opportunity to write and mail a letter, whereas others who have lost, or abandoned, the true art of letter writing would simply send an email.

We’ve become so accustomed to the fast world of “type, correct, click” that many of us would see the effort of physically writing a letter, finding an envelope, and sticking a stamp on it as an unpleasant burden.

But I am willing to face this more disciplined journey.

I saw how, in the past, letter writing helped my family keep in touch. We often received letters from far away relatives. Unlike a short phone call, letters could be passed around and reread for days after. They often included photos or postcards, and some relatives even took to including small side-sketches as part of their letters.

Some would argue that emails serve the same purpose and are a more efficient way of communicating. True. But in my mind, nothing compares to that moment when you hold a letter in your hand – especially one you didn’t expect!

I had many of these moments in my university days.

My mother would always, send a “do your best, we love you” letter. Whereas my dad’s would have more of a “you’re smart, don’t quit” theme.

Either way I was tickled and always wrote back to them – not to just to reassure them that I was still taking classes and studying hard, also to keep our relationship flowing.

During this time, I also wrote to my grandmother and great aunt. That was a challenge! Not only did my handwriting need to be legible, but there was no room for any error in my grammar or spelling, or their next letter would include a lesson!

They enjoyed hearing of the goings-on in my young life, so I was happy to describe my university adventures – sticking mainly to academics and only cautiously mentioning “social outings” (a.k.a. pub crawls).

Their letters gave me insight into in their lives. Like when “a young rascal” took grandma’s favorite seat on a bus and when the priest in Aunt Charlotte’s church mispronounced a word during a sermon. I always got a chuckle out of their descriptions of these “serious” moments.

Set in a conversation these stories may have been forgotten, but with a handwritten letter, they can be revisited numerous times. And for that reason, many people keep the letters, as my grandmother did. After her passing, we found all the letters I had sent her neatly organized in a drawer.

I am also reluctant to part with the ones I’ve kept. I don’t want to lose the chance to reread them and to hold something that was written just for me. My father’s pointed handwriting and my mom’s gardening instructions still speak to me.

Once when I expressed my dismay at the lost art of letter writing, someone called me an old-school boomer and said I needed to get with the times and just send emails.

And I do. The boring simplicity and trivial effort of sending emails is my usual form of communication.

But on occasion I still rise to the challenge of getting my thoughts in order and executing flawless handwriting on some finely decorated stationery.

Perhaps others will join my crusade and revive this lost art so people can have an “I got a letter!” moment. So much better than “another email to open” task.

***

Leslie Steves is a retired teacher. She enjoys having the time to continue the tradition of hand writing letters to loved ones. Her other writing endeavors include short stories, children’s stories and the occasional poem – often inspired during quiet time in the garden or daily walks with her dog.

For more short stories, poetry, and essays by you fellow writers see here (and scroll down).

See Brian Henry's upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and four-day retreats here.