I received a number of annual letters from friends this year. This is not a type of letter I am good at writing, but I treasure it when other people can summarize their lives in one page, and I save their letters year to year. One friend has been sending her life summaries for 30 years and it provides me a window into her personal history that I would not otherwise have.

What part do letters play in your life? Do you write short thank you notes? Correspond with a pen pal, cherish the letters of another generation but write none of your own? Do you send yearly hard copy cards at birthdays or anniversaries?

Consider taking up the pen again (or for the first time). Writing a letter to a friend, to the editor of a newspaper, or to someone who has done you a good turn might help you to slow down, think, and stay more deeply connected to yourself.

Here are two references to inspire you

www.writealetter.org is a simple site published by a former letter carrier who fell in love with the things she carried.

Letters of note (there are at least two volumes) is a rich compendium of letters penned over several centuries. See if they don’t spark some ideas for letters of your own creation: www.lettersofnote.com

 

* From the Beatles Song, “P.S. I Love You”