The Letter

It was sitting by the side of the road, outside of Jonesboro, Arkansas, when I saw it. It was neatly folded and stapled, and had not been there long.
I picked it up, two small pages joined by that staple, perfectly placed.
There, in neat handwriting, and dated July 28, 2007, was the following:
“Dear Ashley,
Greetings from Illinois! I hope this letter finds you and Doug doing well. Did you have a nice anniversary? Any “out of town” plans this year? How is Doug’s job going? And of course how are you doing? You have been on my heart and in my prayers lots.
This letter is basically to let you know I’m thinking about you and to give you an update on my family. Caleb and I are doing very well. The Lord has blessed me with more piano students-a total of 6 now-that’s a blessing.
David is GROWING! His newest feats are sitting independently, rolling everywhere and scooting with his hands and arms. He is known as the Bouncer because he bounces on his legs whenever he puts weight on them or even when he is held. He’s still a good mixture of Hanson and Ross, though he’s a little more Ross, we think.
Hope you enjoy the pictures. Sure love and miss you.
Love, Emily 
PS I finally got my hair cut!”

And that was it. The pictures weren’t on the ground, but I didn’t need them. I already had the images in my mind because what I had discovered, and almost discarded was a perfect example of what has become an almost extinct tradition---the handwritten note.
Email is convenient, admittedly. Texting, not so much, since the same device you are texting on could much easier be used to talk to the other person. Current fads aside, the handwritten note or letter is something that almost no one writes anymore and the world is a poorer place for it. Are we so lazy that we can’t be bothered to pick up a pen and paper and make that connection? It’s not digital code. It is the human touch, and if we don’t use it, we will lose it.
“Emily” in the above letter is obviously someone who is not too old, since her little boy is just at the sitting stage, and her friend Ashley likely is not too old either. The letter was only written 4 years ago, long after emailing became the order of the day. So why didn’t Emily just email Ashley? Maybe…just maybe, she understands the beauty and heart and love that con be conveyed by pen and ink. Emails, digital cards, all of the modern silliness are all well and good but there is nothing like a personal note or letter, written in one’s own hand, to really have a lasting effect. Try it. Send a handwritten note or card to someone you care about. You might even get one in return!