Signed. Sealed. Delivered.

Write back soon. These were the last words written on every letter from my pen pals to me, as well as mine to them. It seems like a lifetime ago, when I was a teenager writing to other teenagers all over the world. We had a common interest which brought us together but those letters took us to the next level, friendship.

Back then, the internet didn’t exist in households, with very few exceptions, so forget about social networks altogether. If you wanted to communicate with someone you either paid for long-distance calls while your parents timed you or you sent notes through the mail. We were very happy and excited to do the latter. Who doesn’t love getting mail!

As time went by some of us lost touch with each other while others created strong bonds. We stay connected and have re-connected via modern-day options such as e-mail, forums, and certainly social networks, however, I find that in many instances, as people use technology more and more, their grammar levels decrease. Full sentences shrink to a few words and lose proper punctuation and capitalization. Words lose letters, becoming single vowels or consonants.

Staying in contact with family and friends is easier now in some regards. There is always the telephone. As my Aunty Celia used to say, if you want to talk to someone, pick up the phone. We expect our e-mails, posts, and text messages answered quickly if not immediately because we are always online and listening for our special downloaded cell phone ringtones. For business purposes an instant reply is fantastic. Lose sight of your friend in a packed stadium? Sure, send him/her a text asking where in blazes did he/she go. Yet when it comes to personal correspondence, a hand written letter cannot be beat.

Everything from the paper to the ink is intimate and unique.  Since there is very little room for error, we take the time to think more carefully before writing and should we not like the results, we can toss it out and start anew.  Satisfied with our penned thoughts, we slip the note into an envelope, address it, add postage and drop it into a mailbox. You can’t help but smile at the idea of the recipient enjoying the surprise.

How easy it is to make someone feel special and loved.   All you have to do is pull out your address book. Get some note cards, stationary or even lined paper. No doubt you have more pens at home than you know where to keep. Clear off the table, sit down, and start writing. You don’t need a pen pal, a friend or relative will do perfect. Tell them what’s going on in your life, about a vacation you went on, what you just discovered or what you miss most about the good old days. After you’ve poured out your soul or laughed at your musings and signed your name, be sure to say, write back soon.