Many journalists are noting the ‘lost art’ of letter-writing.[i] Evidence of this decline abounds, such as in the number of letters delivered per household, revenue generated by postal services, and many anecdotal accounts, including my own. The general picture is nicely summarized in the following UK statistics:
“According to annual Post Office statistics, today, the average household only receives personal letters about once every seven or eight weeks, compared with once a fortnight back in 1987, and more than 90% of 16-year-olds in the UK said they have never written a letter.”[ii]
Sad. Of course, there are many substitutes for letters, such as e-mail, video conversations, and simply watching TV or video rather than interacting with individuals. But I remain convinced of rewards tied to writing a personal letter.
I grew up in the 1950s enthralled with the magic of sending letters to people, ambassadors, and organizations I found in the ads of magazines, such as foreign embassies. (I did not know people from afar.) Foreign embassies were the best as I loved getting letters in response with literature about another country and beautiful stamps. But I too have found myself not putting pen to paper to write personal letters. Guilty.
But that is going to change. If I think writing a letter is important enough that I give stationery to my grandchildren, then why don’t I continue this tradition? I have a list of addresses for Christmas cards, which are also part of this declining practice. Instead of writing everyone I know in a day or two, why not write a short letter to each person of whom I have kept track? Even one or two letters a week could be a nice diversion from other activities and a healthy routine. But there must be rules, such as each letter being an original text created for a specific imagined recipient – no form letter.
There are some excuses, such as not having a copy of what I wrote, or taking more time than I would spend sending an email, and so forth. And do I really have time to do this? Will I bore the socks off my friends? Will this be an imposition on others to respond? (I must remember that I am not forcing anyone to read my letters.)
Despite such reservations, I could better retain whatever penmanship I still possess if I write more letters. More importantly, I would create an opportunity to share and recall my unique memories of my experiences with each of my now distant friends. Much of the very meaning of my life is embedded in the experiences I have shared with my friends. So, while writing a letter or two a week won’t reverse any population decline of letter-writing in the national statistics, it will help me put memories on paper that can be shared in ways that could help reflect on our lives.
Step one: get some headed stationery. Have a great 2026!
[i] https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/writing-letters-canada-post-1.7389320
[ii] https://flaneur.me.uk/06/the-lost-art-of-letter-writing/