Whilst reading a book in the bath the other morning, I came across this lovely paragraph by the eternally quotable L.M. Montgomery:
“In a generation or two letters will be obsolete. Everyone will talk to absent friends the world over by radio. It will be nice; but something will be lost with letters. The world can’t eat its cake and have it, too. And none of these things really “save time.” They only fill it more breathlessly full.“
[Saturday December 16, 1922 — Volume 3, L.M. Montgomery Selected Journals]
Spot on, Maud! Spot on! Well, except the part about the radios, we call that the interwebs these days, my dear and lovely friend.
I sat down that morning to do a little letter writing to distant friends because I find the work relaxing and joyful, even when the news I share is dark or sad in nature. I’ve always been a letter writer as far back as I can remember. In grade one, I had a penpal in Moosomin, Saskatchewan and she never wrote me back but I wrote her religiously and zealously on a monthly basis for a full year. I remember one day her non-responses really miffed me and I wrote her a letter to tell her she was an awful penpal. After that, she finally wrote me a letter, it was the only one she ever wrote and shortly after, I admitted defeat and never wrote again. I guess some penpalships just don’t stick, and that’s fine. In real life, people fail to jive all the time! Why wouldn’t it be true of letter making as well?
Anyway, now I’m just rambling about my epistle failures of the past.
What I really wanted to share with you is the why of my love for letter writing. I like to make some moments of my life slow and sacred. For this reason, I am a bather (additionally and admittedly, I also have a gorgeous tub). It forces me to slow down and relax for a stint when I make a bath and get in it for a soak. Letter writing does the same thing for me, it causes me to slow down and invest myself in a moment before I get carried away by the tides of life again — that is to say, it is an activity that pleasantly locks me in a moment, it forces me to be present. I think a well written letter is a work of art and for the most part, a lost art. A letter is a long distance dialogue and should be viewed as a continuous conversation in my opinion. A well written letter should contain your own fresh life news, responses to the news that was shared with you by the correspondent as well as a fresh batch of questions or declarations that will incite further dialogue in future letters. Nothing is more drab than receiving a letter wherein a gal only discusses her own life and doesn’t give a girl anything to respond to in the way of opinions or general rebuttal. Trust me, you’ll find yourself scuffling about for something of interest to say when writing back. Besides, don’t you want to know more about your friend? Don’t you want to ask questions and discover each other? Which reminds me of another quote I read recently:
“So many people are shut up tight inside themselves like boxes, yet they would open up, unfolding quite wonderfully, if only you were interested in them.“
[Sylvia Plath]
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When it comes to a successful penpalship, I have a few suggestions for you, please feel free to contribute to my points in the comment section of this post, I’m sure you have wonderful ideas to add to this list:
1. Buy stationary that you love, or make your own, either way, write letters on paper that pleases you aesthetically. It makes the work a joy to sit down to and it makes the letter a joy to receive. My favorite places to find stationary are in gallery or museum stores, Etsy or TJ Maxx! I’ve also been known to write letters on leaves, birch bark, and other natural detritus! Just call me Jilly Crockett.
2. Set aside a time to write your letters so that it feels like a special time of sharing. I like to write letters in the morning at my kitchen island when the light is brilliant and new and my cup of tea or coffee is delightfully hot.
3. When responding to a friend by mail, keep their most recent letter on hand so that you can refer to it directly. This allows you to address any ongoing conversation in your previous correspondence as well as answer any questions that might have been asked. ***To be fair, my life is so disjunct here in the wintertime that I often misplace the letters that come my way or when I’m in the mood to write and am free to sit down for a stint, I don’t have the energy to go to my letter dresser and find the most recent piece of mail from my friend — I’m a much more artful letter writer in the summer months when life is a different sort of crazy. Sorry, to all my dearest penpals.***
4. Write letters to give, not to receive. Write letters to put a piece of joy and hope in the mailbox of a friend. Finding a handwritten letter in a mailbox is like discovering treasure. I often meet the mail carrier when I see him coming, eager to receive my mail, eager to chat with him and discuss the day with a lovely person. Letters bring light to my days and that’s a light I like to give to my friends and acquaintances in return.
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This week, I wrote eight letters. How about you?
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It’s Saturday. I just found myself yearning for a garden and a farmer’s market and perhaps freshly picked beets or carrots from the rows in the backyard. Spring is springing and it’s quite nice. I feel something gentle sprouting in my soul and I’m beginning to anticipate the summer months.
Be well, you beauties. Have a glorious weekend.
