A Case For Sending More Snail Mail

Side note: I actually scheduled this week’s blog post topic back in June and dang, is the timing perfect!

Between my business and my personal life, I rely on the USPS almost daily. I am hopeful that our government will help sustain this service for those of us that so desperately need it to run our businesses, mail ballots back to our state of residence, or simply mail cards to friends.

At the beginning of 2020, I set a goal to send 52 letters during the year: one letter a week to reconnect with a friend. While I have fallen miserably behind on that goal, I still have time left to catch up before December 31st!

I was inspired by a friend who had committed a month to going on daily walks with a different person each day. The idea of spending intentional time on these relationships really appealed to me and I thought that sending weekly letters would challenge me to do the same while connecting with friends I’ve missed since moving to Chicago. (Although technology has allowed me to do this to some extent, there’s a big difference between commenting on an Instagram photo and mailing a letter).

When I went home a few weeks ago, my mom had me sort through several boxes of my old things. In one box, I found several letters she had saved from my childhood.

There was a letter from my aunt on yellow lined paper that detailed her experience of finding a squirrel in her house and trying to coax it outside after it hid in her closet. There was another letter from my cousin on some dolphin stationery that she probably sent after an Easter visit. (My grandmother hosted the most EPIC Easter Egg Hunts!) There were also several holiday cards signed by grandparents and great-aunts and uncles that have since passed away. To hold each letter, see the handwriting and signatures, and see what was happening in each person’s life at those moments was so special.

Getting letters in the mail as a kid was always so magical. These days, our mail is usually filled with promotions and bills, but when an envelope slips through with a handwritten friend’s name in the top corner, my whole day gets better!

So here is my case for sending more snail mail:

-It shows your friends that they are a priority. You don’t take the time to handwrite letters to just anyone after all!

-It gives you the chance to slow down, reflect on your week, and think about what you want to say (which is an extra benefit for those of us who don’t naturally reflect on our days on our own)!

-You might even receive a letter back in the mail, which is just plain fun.

Here’s to putting more effort into our relationships, one letter at a time.

P.S. Two small ways you can support the USPS right now are:  buy stamps (and send some letters!) and sign this petition.