With the instant gratification of texting, instant messaging and e-mail, old-fashioned letter writing seems to have gone the way of the rotary phone. Think back and remember the thrill of opening your mailbox to find a letter (not a bill) addressed to you. There’s an entire file-cabinet drawer full of cherished letters I can’t bear to part with: from Grandmother in her cramped cursive; Dad in his should-have-been-a-lefty scrawl; my best friend who followed her true love overseas. Letters take time to write, and the recipient knows they take time: what a lovely gift to give. You have an opportunity to revive this semi-archaic tradition any day, but why not on Dec. 7, National Letter Writing Day? Get some paper, sit down with your kids and show them how to compose a note to someone you love. Then sit back as it takes the U.S. Postal Service 3 to 7 days, and imagine the recipient’s joy upon opening their mailbox.
