“The Lost Art of Letter Writing” is a headline in a recent Veranda magazine. 2020 has called us to greater connections via technology as well as the written word – even magazines are publishing stories about this year’s ways of connecting.
Letter writing shares a memory, creates a memory, and intimately connects the writer to the receiver. Sometimes the card itself becomes a keepsake for the recipient. One year, I sent a card a week to my father in his retirement living apartment. Another year I sent a card a week to a friend too far away to have coffee with each week.
Historical figures known for their letter writing include: Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis; Benjamin Franklin; Abraham Lincoln; Martin Luther King, Jr.; and authors and political figures by the dozens.
Letters that are published and last the test of time are from one lover to another; soldiers writing home during war-times; from an author to a friend; and from public figures to other public figures or family members (think presidents). Collections of these letters inform biographies and books a plenty.
Letter writing also celebrates special occasions: birthdays, graduations, promotions, anniversaries, weddings, and babies being born. A written note can also share sympathy, well wishes for a speedy recovery, and encouragement for someone going through challenging times.
Thank you letters and notes make a lasting impression on friends, family members, and colleagues. Sure, a text or an email counts as having said “thank you”. However, taking time to mail a letter conveys a greater and more heartfelt thanks.
Consider sending a birthday card at the start of a person’s birthday-month. “Happy Birthday, Celebrate All Month Long” makes a fun greeting. One man was dreading his 60th birthday at the end of the month and found reasons to be cheerful when receiving a set of NestingCards at the start of his birthday month. “I’ve been reminded about the great decades of my life, one decade at a time with each nested card I opened. Now, I’m not dreading my birthday this year.”
Who will receive your first letter of 2021?
Photo note: Idaho Mountains by Peg Owens for NestingCards®
Nesting (the blog and NestingCards® the product line) is about the objects and experiences that create a sense of home. Without home, it is difficult to maintain health, find joy, or to be productive. Enjoy the NestingCards series of blogs on your search for and creation of a deep sense of home. Also, enjoy browsing www.NestingCards.com for fun, for gifts, and for joy-spreading possibilities. ~ Jana
NestingCards® is a registered Trademark, United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Jana Kemp
