In my box of treasures I have a handwritten letter from September, 1984.
In the weeks before I received it, my grandparents had been tragically killed in a car accident. They were beautiful, Godly, much-loved people and a great loss to our family and their wide circle of friends.
Enid was an older friend of our family. She had taken the time to write so that I would get a letter of my own in the midst of all the fall out for my parents and others as they processed what was needed to deal with both their grief and practical needs.
It was special at the time and every time I come across it I am reminded again of the gift it was to me.
I was recently chatting with a group of school teachers with many years of experience. We were swapping stories about our students and also our own teachers when one shared a story of connecting with a 26 year old ex-student who remembered receiving a “welcome to our class” letter from her 21 years earlier!
In quick succession we all shared stories of letters given or received that had continued to be significant decades after they’d be written.
An encouragement note exchanged on a youth camp.
A letter of condolence or care from a time of particular difficulty.
A card of congratulations for an achievement or milestone.
A note to commemorate a special experience or occasion.
The more stories we shared the more we were compelled to go home and pick up a pen.
How about you? Have you kept handwritten letters that have particular significance for you? Who could you drop a letter to today?
kimberly smith 
Yes, I still have many handwritten notes I have received. And I still write and send handwritten notes often! In an age of cell phones, texts, and social media, why bother?? I think there are so many good reasons to do so! There is something more personal and meaningful about a handwritten note. Do people print out texts or e-mails and save them? Not typically. They are lost in the phone or computer. I have heard of people printing out special e-mails to save – but again, note they are printed out. The tangible is more meaningful. Good post – and yes, everyone, consider sending a handwritten note to someone today!
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