write a letter

A guest post by Megan Beery of Peach & Poppy Co.

I love snail mail. 

Handwritten letters, postcards, packages, whatever. I love sitting down at my desk in the evening and rambling to a friend on a piece of paper, whether they’re ones I see every week or ones I’ve never met. 

Writing letters definitely isn’t something most people do, and I think that should change! The convenience of text and email is nice, but they don’t compare with a good ol’ letter by a long shot. So today I’ll be sharing a few reasons why snail mail is so amazing and I hope by the end of this post you’ll be convinced to give it a try! 

why you should write letters

1

To start with, I think there’s a lot going for handwritten letters simple because they’re real in a way an email or text isn’t. You’re reading the same thing another person wrote, and it’s on the same paper with the same handwriting and smudges and scribbled-out words. 

2

They’re more meaningful. It takes a good bit longer to write a letter than an email, but that’s okay! It’s a more meaningful way of communication and it’s a good way to just relax. As a random guy named Lord Byron once said, “letter writing is the only device for combining good company with solitude,” which isn’t quite as true in our day and age now, but it really is a good way to get to know someone else while having some time to yourself. 
It’s an excellent way to get your thoughts on paper. Writing in a journal is fine for some things, but often it’s nicer to tell a pen pal about your day or something you’re learning than telling a notebook. 

3

It’s a great way to keep in touch. If you’re reading this and you’ve never written a letter, then I encourage you to take fifteen minutes (or more, once you realize how fun it is) and write a short letter to someone you know. I don’t care if they live in a different country or just down the road. Tell them what you’ve been up to, ask them how they’re doing. 

4

You can send more than just a letter. Stamps really don’t cost that much, and if you don’t live in a tiny town and hate to stand in lines at the post office, then you can order some online. (Although I’d much rather go to the post office, especially since there’s rarely anyone waiting in line at ours.) I love to include a hand lettered Bible verse or quote, a summery drink mix or a bag of tea, some stickers, a playlist, or anything else that’s relatively flat and light. 
It’s something out of the ordinary for people to enjoy. The truth is, it’s pretty unusual to find an envelope with a handwritten address in your mailbox. Whether you find someone to be your pen pal or not, you can at least send a friend a letter to brighten up their day for a bit and give them a happy surprise.  

5

Finally, you can find so many ways to make your letter personalized. If your pen pal loves yellow, make it a sunshine themed letter. Send them their favorite Bible verse that you hand-lettered. Encourage them, ask how you can pray for them, write about memories you’ve had together. 

6

Those are just some of the things that come to my mind, but tere are so many things you can do with snail mail! Memorize a Bible passage together by sending verses through mail. Are you an artist? There are endless possibilities for how to decorate your stationery and envelopes! Do you enjoy writing? Send snippets of prose or poetry with your letter for the recipient to enjoy. 

I hope I’ve convinced you to at least give letter writing a try. There is always a possibility (though I believe it’s a very small one :)) that you won’t enjoy it, but I’m sure whoever you send your letter to will be overjoyed to find your letter in their mailbox.  

Hello, I’m Megan, a homeschooled farm girl who is a daughter of the one true King. I have a passion for wildflowers, donkeys, the color yellow, and snail mail. Definitely snail mail.

I recently started an Etsy shop (which you can see here: peachandpoppyco.etsy.com) and have enjoyed putting together snail mail kits for others to enjoy. I hope to convince others to try out snail mailing for themselves and use it to encourage the people around (or far away from) them.

I also blog occasionally over at abarefootgal.wordpress.com about various and sundry topics. 

When’s the last time you wrote a letter?