Before the internet was the latest fad with its modern text and ability to send a message to anyone around the world, there was the pen and the paper.

Of course, email is extremely convenient and widely used by a majority of our generation. However, emails lack a certain character that handwritten letters offer with every word and even every mistake that is written. An email full of typed words or a Facebook post with emojis cannot compare to the essence of a handwritten letter.
When I receive anything in handwritten form, I feel the effort and personality of the sender. With the paper’s material between my fingertips with all of its tangibility, I know that something valuable has been placed in my hands.

[one_third]An email full of typed words or a Facebook post with emojis cannot compare to the essence of a handwritten letter.[/one_third]

[two_third_last]Admittedly, emails have benefits too: they are free of charge, wired into almost every portable electronic device, and offer the endless possibilities that come with digital technology. There is also the undeniable fact that a handwritten letter would be a hassle due to the cost of the stamp, the trouble of finding the recipient’s address, and the time it takes to write the letter itself. However, I believe these are what make handwritten letters so authentic and special.
My challenge to you is this: The next time you want to say something to a friend to brighten up his or her day, ask for that person’s address and scribble a few nice things and pop it into the mailbox. Or if you come across a situation where you realize you haven’t talked to an old friend in what seems like a millennium, whip out a pen and some paper. Sometimes, old is better than the new.

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