How many of you still write "real" letters?

[Doran]

I'm getting ready to send a letter to my parents. I write letters a couple times a month to my mother. She writes more often than that. My father reads them but rarely writes (well, anymore, he probably couldn't). Still the letters he's written me over the years are precious and several bring me to tears when I happen to reread them. My mother's letters -- and I've kept them all, from days when I went off to camp, to college, to marrying and moving away -- are full of how she's spent her days and weeks, more practical, less emotional. That's my mother. Though I hope I will always see the emotions behind the words.

 

Every now and again, it occurs to me just how much of a dying breed we are, and I wonder who else still keeps any written mail contact with a loved one. I wonder if the tradition will die with my mother and me, whether either of my children, who are so connected electronically, will ever consider writing me letters when I'm old.

 

When I first got email (we were later than many at that), I printed and saved every exchange. I just couldn't bear the thought of losing someone's words. Fortunately, I've grown out of that habit (can you imagine?!). But, if that's all I ever get from my daughters, I just might have to go back to saving them again. :rolleyes:

 

Just pondering.

 

Doran

[claire at home]

I was just thinking about this! We just watched Pride and Predjudice (again!) and I was noticing how important it was to their culture and how they set aside time particularly to answer correspondence. I was just thinking that maybe for my Grandmother's birthday I would write her a real letter, something that I haven't done in ages! So here's to a revival of the hand written letter!

claire

[mellifera]

I don't have a problem writing a letter if the person I write to will return the favor. Letter writers are a rare thing anymore.

[Tracey in TX]

1-2X/yr to an old friend and my role model. I believe that written letters held a valuable place in former times, but isn't valued anymore. If we took a poll I would vote "thank goodness for IM and email".

[CookieMonster]

nt :)

[Karen sn]

I still write them and in my best penmanship. My dd has perfect penmanship and she writes them as well. It is a dying art form, and as such will be revivied by those with sense enough to enjoy the small simple pleasures. Nothing beats beautiful stationary, cursive writing, and getting something other than a bill from the postal service.

It is classy.

[Doran]

I still write them and in my best penmanship. My dd has perfect penmanship and she writes them as well. It is a dying art form, and as such will be revivied by those with sense enough to enjoy the small simple pleasures. Nothing beats beautiful stationary, cursive writing, and getting something other than a bill from the postal service.

It is classy.

 

I *don't* handwrite all my letters. I do that on occasion, though my mother's are still hand written. I have decent penmanship, I just choose to use the keyboard instead. So, I suppose I'm not quite as classy as you and your dd!

 

Doran

[Doran]

...I believe that written letters held a valuable place in former times, but isn't valued anymore. If we took a poll I would vote "thank goodness for IM and email".

 

 

See, that's really my point. No one values it anymore, yet I sometimes think on how this will influence our knowledge of one another in tomorrow's history books. Everything has become so...I dunno...disposable. How will we know of the love between an soldier in Iraq and his bride here in the states like we knew of those emotions during the Civil War? The people and their feelings are no less significant, but we have lost the mechanism for recording that.

 

I know this line of thinking is a cousin to despairing over the devaluation of books and the diminishing need to use books to learn or pass along information now that we have the Cyber Superhighway. It just strikes me as a little sad that we won't have any tangible written record of our days. I guess blogs have taken up that space. But, will blog entries last?

 

 

Doran

[Aubrey]

Not as much as I should, but how else would I send a thank-you, for example, to my grandparents who don't have computers? Or artwork from the dc to my mother who begs for such all the time, lol?

 

I know what you mean, though. I've got a box of stationery sitting in a pile, trying to decide if it wants to be donated or used...hm...

[Jean in Newcastle]

I love writing letters. But no one will write me back! Not even my mother! She has gotten in the telephone habit just like everyone else. I've wondered if there was a place where middle-aged homeschool moms could find a pen pal.

[~Tara~]

My dad and I kept in touch via hand-written letters up until his death last year. Neither of us are phone talkers. And our relationship had been in repair mode since my high school days. Communicating via these letters was 'enough' for me. I wasn't ready for much personal contact yet. He never had email, so that wasn't even an option.

 

I don't so much 'mind' writing a letter, it's just...my handwriting really stinks and my hand tires quickly. So I find it frustrating and somewhat bothersome. I like the *idea*, I just don't practice it much. Well, not at all now that he's gone.

 

I never was a fancy stationary kind of gal though. Once you put lines across there it really detracts from the beauty, ya know? And um, you do NOT want to see me attempt to write without the lines. Eek!

[AFwife Claire]

They are older (in their 80's) and do not have a computer, so I couldn't email like I do the rest of dh's family. But I also know how much they enjoy getting my letters and reading them. My in-laws are a crusty bunch. They are definitely people who don't want to be happy, so amazingly enough, nothing ever makes them happy. When we were first married, my MIL didn't like me much. She didn't know me at all, but she thought I was "after Bob's money", "not smart enough", and she was concerned about our marriage because I "didn't know how to ski or play tennis". I was pretty hurt by all this because I really couldn't imagine anyone not wanting me as a daughter-in-law, LOL, but I started writing her letters. Just chatty, updating ones, but they made such a huge difference in our relationship. We're not close by any means, because that's not really their style, but they like me and are glad I married their son. What a difference! She just told me last week how people will call and leave messages or talk briefly on the phone, but no one else takes the time to write them letters, and she liked that, even though she knew I was the busiest since I have the most children of all dh's siblings.

 

Of course, I don't write anyone else, LOL. One reason I like scrapbooking so much is that I handwrite my journaling, and I feel that it's important to have my thoughts be in my handwriting, so my kids, grandkids, etc. can see that. Handwriting is so unique for everyone! I do think we're losing something precious by never writing stuff anymore--although in most cases I am too lazy to do anything about it! : )

[Aubrey]

They are older (in their 80's) and do not have a computer, so I couldn't email like I do the rest of dh's family. But I also know how much they enjoy getting my letters and reading them. My in-laws are a crusty bunch. They are definitely people who don't want to be happy, so amazingly enough, nothing ever makes them happy. When we were first married, my MIL didn't like me much. She didn't know me at all, but she thought I was "after Bob's money", "not smart enough", and she was concerned about our marriage because I "didn't know how to ski or play tennis". I was pretty hurt by all this because I really couldn't imagine anyone not wanting me as a daughter-in-law, LOL, but I started writing her letters. Just chatty, updating ones, but they made such a huge difference in our relationship. We're not close by any means, because that's not really their style, but they like me and are glad I married their son. What a difference! She just told me last week how people will call and leave messages or talk briefly on the phone, but no one else takes the time to write them letters, and she liked that, even though she knew I was the busiest since I have the most children of all dh's siblings.

 

Of course, I don't write anyone else, LOL. One reason I like scrapbooking so much is that I handwrite my journaling, and I feel that it's important to have my thoughts be in my handwriting, so my kids, grandkids, etc. can see that. Handwriting is so unique for everyone! I do think we're losing something precious by never writing stuff anymore--although in most cases I am too lazy to do anything about it! : )

 

Ok, I'm inspired. At the very least, I want to get my scrapbooking stuff out.

 

I just have to clean up the living room, finish school, make lunch, clean up the kitchen....

 

No, wait. I really *am* inspired!:( Somebody said somewhere that we make time for the critical (emergency stuff, I can't remember) but not the *important.* I think I'll go do something important today.

 

Thanks!

[Crissy]

 

We do. I love the 'hand-written' aspect most of all.

[Jane in NC]

I wonder if the tradition will die with my mother and me, whether either of my children, who are so connected electronically, will ever consider writing me letters when I'm old.

 

Doran

 

Historians need us to write letters, keep paper journals and records, etc. How many people have kept their old technology that allows them to read floppies? How many people fail to back up their computers and lose their records and emails in computer crashes?

 

I now send more emails than letters, but I still use snail mail and still buy far too much stationery.

 

Jane

[MNClaire]

to a childhood friend that now lives in Ireland. We corresponded while we were in college (before e-mail). When we need cheering up, we send letters to each other because of how special getting hand-written letter can be.

 

I can't say that I do this with any other friends. We send cards with little notes, but mainly correspond by e-mail. Everyone seems too busy.

 

 

Claire