I was away from my hometown for almost two months this summer and my crazy travel schedule got me thinking about the joy that comes from receiving(and sending ) a letter in the mail , the traditional way.

In our fast-paced society where it takes nearly no thought to send a e-mail , a long , handwritten letter seemsburdensome. It's tempting to think there are so many other things I can do with my time , or it would be quicker to type the letter.After all , a handwritten letter takes time , thought and some pre-planning. There is no backspace button , no copy , paste or insert . Each paragraph needs to be a complete thought , a well-formed idea. Despite the added time and thought it takes to actually handwrite a letter , it is really worth the effort. The receiver experiences the joy of knowing he/she was thought of in a true and deep way. That allows the receivers to know he/she is valued as a person , deserving someone else's full attention for the time it took to pen the letter .

I have a couple of friends who made New Year's resolutions to write one a day ; another , one a week. Now that it is halfway through the year both friends admit the resolution has been hard but it has taught them a number of life lessons. It has helped strengthen their relationships others in a true and meaningful way. It has helped them form clear ideas and communicate them on paper . Frequent letter writing has taught them disciplinen, because it is truly an effort to sit down and write. It has made them better writers and even improved their penmanship. With all that said... Now I'm off to write a letter.