Life’s not all about business. It’s not all conducted online (although you can be forgiven that impression, given the current global circumstances).
There’s something about handwriting. No amount of digital artistry or trickery can ever be more personal than a handwritten letter or card.
Have you ever kept a letter, birthday card or flippant piece of doodling? Have you entertained rock stardom notions based on two lines of a chorus you wrote on the back of a till receipt? How many would-be blockbuster novels exist only as an opening paragraph and a lot of dreams? And, what about your notes for the life story your family want you to record?
I doubt people keep hold of these things because they treasure the cute dog’s picture on a birthday card, or because the purple notebook matches the wallpaper.
Notes from your soul
They’ve kept the card because of the words it says, the emotions those words represent, and, most importantly, the person who wrote them. They’ve kept that notebook because it contains their thoughts and ideas, moments of creativity, insight, observation, or simply to record events. It may be pretentious rambling, but it’s personal pretentious rambling. Still, then again, it may be creative genius, who’s to say?
As time goes by, what would you rather rediscover: a letter from someone who is, or was, important to you, or an email? Sometimes, you want to say something to someone in a way that conveys your message and motivation, and you want it to be real and cherished.
We all need to give some thought to the personal memories that only exist as files on a long-forgotten server. That includes our virtual photo-albums that no one knows exists, let alone have the passwords for.
Shoeboxes of letters – windows to another life
There’s a lot to be enjoyed and discovered from a shoebox of letters, a tatty notebook, and a dog-eared photograph.
We’re all becoming more creative and determined to stay connected at the moment, especially with senior relatives and friends. There’s a lot of concern around protecting mental wellbeing, tackling loneliness and combatting the insidious sense of isolation that can be just as dangerous and debilitating as any physical infection.
It’s great to Zoom, but letters say more
As well as getting your ‘Gran’ up to speed with video calling, why not write her a letter? Even better, include a print of one of the many selfies you’ve stored on your phone? It takes a bit more effort and postage costs, but it’ll be worth it. She’ll be the one who lights up at recognising your handwriting, who’ll show your photo off to the people around her and will re-read your letter many times to feel a connection with you. I guarantee she’ll gain comfort from knowing you made the effort.
It’ll also be something to talk about the next time you Facetime or Zoom together.
Say ‘I love you’ with a letter
As we approach St. Valentine’s Day, you’re maybe thinking about how to let the apple of your eye know they mean something to you. Stop yourself instinctively reaching for your phone or keyboard; instead, think about reaching for a pen.
Nothing says, “I care about you” better than words on paper.
