Pen + Paper = Lost Art Form

A couple of weeks ago, I opened my mail box and found an envelope. Inside was a piece of paper with lots, no, make that TONS of writing... huh?
 Do you know what it was? A letter. That is where you write words on a piece of paper, with a pen or writing utensil of choice, and then put it in an envelope, and...wait for it...

MAIL IT TO SOMEONE! 

I know, crazy. It had been so long since I received an actual, honest to goodness letter, that at first, I wasn't sure what it was. What was my dear friend from Alabama mailing me? Too small to be a book, too big to be a card of some sort... what could it be??? I opened it to find... an actual letter. A whole page, front and back in her beautiful handwriting. I was delighted. Yes, DE-LIGHT-ED. I went in the house, and sat down in a comfy chair and read the wonderful words. I laughed at some points, nodded knowingly at others, and when it was done all I could think was "Wow, that made my day."

So, I returned the favor to her. I took a piece of copy paper, because hello? Who owns stationery anymore? I folded it in half, thinking I would never be able to write a whole page's worth. Um, yeah... FYI: if you are a chatty cathy in real life, you are a chatty cathy in the written realm as well. I filled up all four halves, and could have done more. My hand started cramping, and if hands could talk, mine was having flashbacks to last minute papers written in high school. (yes, we used to write our papers. shut your mouths you babes of the computer age.)

Anyhoo... my point is this... This week, grab a pen, some paper, and take a few minutes to write someone a letter. Not a note, not a card, but a real, honest to goodness letter. I believe there is even some Biblical precedent/example here, in that the New Testament contains "epsitles', aka letters to the churches. I just think we need a lot more hand cramping and a lot less, "Didn't you know?  I posted it on my facebook" in the world.