So today I wrote a letter…

Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash

So today I wrote a letter for the first time in years.  And it was so cathartic.  Letting my deepest thoughts flood the page to an old friend. It lifted my spirit and allowed me to make space for an intimate conversation, despite our distance.  It’s something about receiving or sending a letter that is so profound, exciting and powerful.  So simple yet so meaningful.  Think of all the old movies we’ve seen where love letters are kept and held sacred. People writing each other from miles and miles away before the use of cell phones and social media.  There is no instant gratification in the art of letter writing.  Letter writing takes effort.  Letter writing takes patience.   Letter writing takes time.  Letter writing takes intention.  And depending on the content and recipient of the letter, letter writing also takes devotion. 

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Letters are time pieces, capturing the present moment and current events.  So many researchers and historians look back to letters to get a more personal glimpse of what it was like to live through different eras.  You can easily travel to the past by reading the written words of those who came before us. 

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

There is also something deeply meditative about writing a letter.  As I wrote to this old friend, time slowed down for me.  I had to deeply concentrate on my thoughts, my sentence structure, and my messaging.  I put a lot of care into getting my points across.  I poured tiny pieces of my heart out onto the paper through my ink pen.  My ears tuned in to the scratches I made as I etched each word on the page.  I began to sink into a creative flow.  A rhythmic dance most writers are familiar with.  It was cleansing.  It felt like renewal.  Although the intention of the letter was to spread hope and encouragement to a loved one, I was surprised at how much making this handwritten letter put my mind and spirit at ease.  I also fought through perfectionism writing this letter. There is no delete button when writing a letter.  No spellcheck outside of a dictionary.  No one to proofread or correct my grammar. Scratching out mistakes felt ugly initially.  But after a while, it started to feel real.  Authentic. Human. And I realized that was the point.  The errors and imperfections make the letter an original.  One of a kind.  Special. My words and intention don’t have any less weight if I miss a comma or cross out an entire line.  I truly had to get over myself to write the letter all the way to its completion.  I had to get out of my head and into my heart.  I had to tune into who and where I was in that exact moment.  And that, unexpectedly, brought me so much peace.

Interestingly enough, about two years ago, I was introduced to the art of junk journaling.  Junk journaling is a crafting practice that mixes creative journaling, scrapbooking and collaging. I came across some crafters on TikTok and decided to give junk journaling a try.  I posted my creations on my account and within a couple of months, the junk journaling community found me and embraced me.  Not too long after that, the community introduced me to “happy mail”.  Random women I had never met before offered to send me care packages in the form of happy mail.  I was skeptical at first, but eventually I gave in.  I received stickers, card stock, stamps, supplies, things created by these women just for me, along with written words of encouragement, affirmation, and adoration.  Each package was put together with so much love and intention.  Each package felt like a warm hug and a kiss on the forehead.  Little did these women know that they poured into me at one of my darkest times.  Love from complete strangers built me up in a way I’ll never be able to explain.  They showed me how simple it was to be loving and to extend the hand just because. They wanted nothing from me.  They just wanted to put a smile on my face.  I have adopted this practice a few times to spread joy amongst my loved ones.  And every time it felt so good to show someone I care about how much they mean to me by creating something with my own hands.

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I never intended to write this old friend a letter.  My plan was to make happy mail for her by making some cute cards, a couple of bookmarks and some doodles.  But for whatever reason, it did not feel right sending her package just yet.  Then it dawned on me sometime last week, that as a writer (saying that out loud still feels weird) I should be practicing my gift more often.  Honestly, what’s more personal than a hand written letter?  And today just happened to be the day that I had enough free time to actually write her.  I’m so happy that I did. I’m so happy that I chose to write her this letter. I’m so grateful for the opportunity and ability to write what I’m thinking.  To write what I’m pondering. And share that with others.

I hope this inspires you to start writing letters.  Even if you never send them.  Write letters to your inner child or a younger version of yourself. Write letters to your future self.  Write letters to those who have wronged you.  Write letters about what pisses you off or makes you sad.  Write letters for those who don’t have a voice.  Write letters because you can.  Write letters because it is a privilege.  Write letters because it is an overlooked blessing.  Write letters that your kids, grandkids, and great grands can read and learn about you in ways they never thought possible, even after you’re gone.  In a time emails, text messaging, DMs, and ChatGPT, let’s indulge in an ancient practice to remind us of our humanness.