writing letters Archives - View from the Front Porch

11 09, 2017

What We Did Before the Internet

By judythemorgan|2021-09-01T14:06:56-05:00September 11th, 2017|Make Me Think Monday|2 Comments

I received the loveliest letter from a friend I hadn’t seen in years the other day.

Yes, you read that correctly, a LETTER.

She’s didn’t FB. She didn’t message or text or email. She did what we did before the internet. She took out stationery and wrote me a letter.

We’d met on a tour of Ireland four years ago. She’d come from Texas, and I’d come from Colorado. We laughed a lot, enjoyed great food, and saw wonderful sites. When the tour ended we promised to keep in touch, which we did for the first year.

Then, as so often happens, lives got busy, and we lost touch.

She called our old phone number first, but got a recorded voice saying, “The number you dialed is no longer in service.”

Determined to find me, she decided to take a chance and write a letter. She addressed the envelope to my old address, and the Post Office forwarded her note to our new address. It was such a lovely surprise to hear from her and catch up with what’s happening in her world. I answered her letter immediately. Now I’m watching the mail for her reply.

It was such a lovely surprise to hear from her and catch up with what’s happening in her world. I answered her letter immediately. Now I’m watching the mail for her reply.

That’s what we did before the internet. We wrote letters.

You’ll probably think I’m crazy, but the whole episode has made me realize how much I miss good old-fashion letter writing.

Legacy of Letter Writing

By judythemorgan|2017-01-08T20:25:39-06:00January 9th, 2017|Make Me Think Monday|1 Comment

January 8 through 14 is letter-writing week. The intent of the week long observation is to have more people W-R-I-T-E a letter with a pen or pencil or any other writing instrument.

Handwritten letters offer such a legacy. It’s a shame we don’t value the skill and write more.

Texting and emailing have replace paper and pen as the preferred method of communicating. You can’t deny the convenience and accessibility, but an email or text doesn’t come close to evoking the emotional and visceral response of a lovingly crafted, handwritten letter.

Letters can tell such stories.

Recently, my husband spent days sorting through his family letters and other ephemera. From those old letters, he has been able to reconstruct his family history.

Some of the letters confirmed his memories. Some corrected his memories and others stirred new memories.

From all those letters between his parents , their friends, and his siblings and other documents, he has a timeline that future generations will be able to follow. Plus, they’ll have all the original letters to read.

Maybe you have family letters stashed away some place. Cherish them. Someday organize what you have.

I store family ephemera in vintage suitcases that in turn become side tables or coffee tables.

This year we received more holiday cards than ever before. Many of the cards had letters or handwritten notes. I’ve always been one of those who love to read about what our friends and family are doing. Receiving so many cards this year made my holiday all the merrier.

I’m hoping it’s a trend and others are coming to appreciate letter writing.

This week I encourage you to participate by writing a letter to a friend or family member. Or take the time to teach a child how to write simple thank you cards, letters, invitations, and post cards.

Receiving a handwritten note will put a smile on someone’s face. More importantly, you’ll leave a legacy.

It’s Letter Writing Week

By judythemorgan|2017-01-08T19:26:22-06:00January 8th, 2014|one word Wednesday|0 Comments

That’s right. January 8th through 14th is the official week for letter writing.

My friend Janie Carver clued me with her blog.

Then Edie Melson listed Letter Writing Week in her January holidays blog.

The intent of the week long observation is to

W-R-I-T-E a letter

with a pencil, chalk, marker, crayon or ink pen

not with your fingers on a keyboard or a touch screen.

That means you dig out some of that ancient stationery you’ve been meaning to pitch, grab a writing instrument and put words on the page.

No word-processed message.

No email message.

No text message.

No typewriter. (Do people even use those anymore?)

Not a clever card even if you add a personal message.

I suggest a thank you for a Christmas gift, a hello to an aging friend or relative, a note of gratitude, or reconnecting with someone you haven’t seen in a while.

As a collector of vintage postcards, I find the handwritten notes on the cards dating back to the early 1900s touching.

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