A Handwritten Letter

My grandmother that we called "Bumby" passed away ten years ago.  It is hard to believe she's been gone for that long.  I think about her often.  Bumby was a prolific letter-writer.  She liked songbirds and so we often received nice handwritten letters on bird stationery.  Writing a handwritten letter is a rarity and almost a lost art today.  In an age of convenience, 'snail mail' is used primarily for junk mail or bills. Most find it is just too easy to send someone an email or a text or message them on facebook in order to communicate.  Doing so is not only more convenient, but you save the cost of a stamp.

What is it about a personal note received in the mail that just makes your day?  In my opinion, getting a handwritten letter is far superior to the impersonal email or text.  I've noticed that the senders of junk mail often try to disguise their solicitations as a handwritten note.  They know people like to open such mail.  Junk mail?  Not so much!  American soldiers stationed overseas during wars looked forward to mail call.  They relished letters from home, reading them again and again.  Bumby had a chest filled with correspondence from my grandfather, "Poppy," that she received from Europe during WWII.

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I find myself saving cards and personal letters in the drawer of the nightstand by my bed.  Sometimes I'll go back and read them.  I have birthday and anniversary cards, notes from our kids from when they were very small, letters of encouragement from my mom and grandmothers, and lots of handwritten coupons from the kids (that I haven't redeemed yet!)...  Occasionally I'll go back and re-read an email, but something is different and special about holding a letter in your hand, touching it, looking at the handwriting of a loved one, knowing that they took the time and effort to communicate with you.  It's just nice and truthfully, I need to commit to doing this more and resurrect this lost art.

Although I'm not inclined to share personal letters I've received, I happened to come across a good example of a meaningful (and classy) handwritten letter written by President George Herbert Walker Bush to incoming President Bill Clinton back in 1993 and left in the Oval Office for the new president to find:  (I think you can click on it to enlarge it)

That to me is a great letter.  It is a simple, one-page, clearly written note that exudes humility, grace and genuine respect.  In this day and age where personal attacks and coarse language litters the political landscape, it is refreshing to read something like this.

But you know, you don't have to go back in time in a time machine to read or write good handwritten letters.  You don't need to be a former president or celebrity to write one either.  You and I can make someone's day by dropping a handwritten note in the mail - just to let someone know that you love them or to encourage them. It can be on Presidential stationery, Bumby's songbird stationery, or just a plain old piece of loose leaf paper.  Trust me, it'll make someone's day!