I Got Mail

The art of letter writing has died off with the age of the computer. 

The part of letter writing I adore, in particular in love letters, is the feeling it helps evoke in the writer.  As the words flow from the mind to the hand, the heart overflows with emotion. One cannot help but feel the acuteness of feeling as this transition from mind to written word happens.

Love letters represent an era of romanticism where to woo and court was the norm.

During times of war the love letter was often the tie that bonded a man stationed overseas with his love at home. These letters, given the distance and circumstances, were often filled with heartfelt emotion. Emotions that were intensified with each letter that was sent or received. The words immortalized on these sheets of paper kept love alive in a time of bleakness and despair.

My love affair with the written word began when letter writing was the way we communicated to loved ones far away. I loved reading the letters my grandmother would receive from Europe, beautifully hand written on onion paper, sealed in an envelop with an exotic stamp and marked "air mail". She would sit at the table in her room and take her time replying back, carefully choosing her words and smiling to herself as she got lost in her thoughts. A image that is forever etched in my memory.

This is perhaps why I love writing so much and still find myself searching for beautiful stationery to pen my letters. It takes what is in my mind and heart and travels through my soul, on to the paper. It is my sincere hope that I convey the ardor of my feelings to my readers. I am completely connected to the words that escape my mind, begging to be scribed in ink for all to see.

Letter writing has not completely disappeared in the 21st century. Other mediums, such as email and texting, still offer the writer an avenue to convey their true feelings. Love is often found online but lacks true sentiment. To write a letter to a loved one takes commitment and time. A text does not involve that same profoundness, although if the few words are thoughtfully chosen, it could be as impactful and leave that same indelible mark on your heart.

When you receive that letter in the mail that was painstakingly written just for you, your heart swells with emotion. You rush to find a spot to sit and drink in the words, slowly.  You smile from ear to ear and your eyes sparkle knowing that someone out there gives a damn.  

And today, when I opened my mail box, I received the most wonderful letter, post marked to me, that made my heart soar.

Talk to me!  I want to know about the last letter you received that made your heart soar.  Do you still write letters to loved ones?