In the last 10 years, the sending of letters and greeting cards has declined in favor of email, e-cards, and GIFS. But then came 2020.
We are now in the era of social distancing and electronic overload. We have so much technology around us that we have new issues like Zoom fatigue, random power outages, and slow internet connections to contend with. So that despite the ease of connecting with people via teleconferencing, emails, social media posts, and text messaging, it's made for an unhealthy, unbalanced outlook on life marked by bouts of anxiety, panic, anger, and fear. More time on our hands that we so easily fill by cramming in even more screen time. And so the cycle perpetuates.
“Time is what you make of it."
I've discussed the benefit of letter-writing before here and it generated a ton of buzz, mostly people thanking me for reiterating the value of snail mail and the fond memories they have of what they used to receive back-in-the-day. And, since time is what you make of it, the nonexistence of the internet and wireless communications meant everyone found more meaningful ways to stay connected. There were more in-person gatherings, phone calls, and and of course, plenty of postal mail.
Social Isolation in a Pandemic Year
As the pandemic surged and reality began setting in that we all had to go back to the basics, those of us who lived through a technology-free childhood tended to fare better than today's youth. All those long-forgotten pieces of what made staying home from school what we craved for emerged, and to some degree, it's not too far off from what we already do during the bleakest days of winter, but without the excuse of bad weather keeping us away from one another. And, when we are in contact with other folks in-person now, we are encouraged to stand six feet away while wearing a mask. That right there takes away from meaningful interaction, because not only are you unable to see others' facial expressions, you also may not be able to hear them, and you certainly can't touch them to get their attention or offer a greeting, either.
But letter-writing has been on the rise, as have sending birthday greetings and packages. Mail orders are also at an all-time high, with delivery drivers scurrying every-which-way to reach their destinations. For those reasons, I'd like to make this humble suggestion as we start to transition to the last quarter of the year: let's all bring back the tradition of holiday mail!
Holiday Letters, Greeting Cards, and Photos
For the record, any holiday items I have ever received in the mail, I keep. They all become part of my swath of decorations - namely, my greeting-card garland. It's nothing fancy, just some festive gold wire that I secure between two wall sconces and deck out with the latest greeting cards, photos, and notes, some of which are fastened by Christmas ornament clips. If I wanted to, I could put up more wire to make several more rows, but since fewer people have been sending me any holiday cheer in the last decade, I've had to pull out more and more of my collection from years gone by onto just one strand (which isn't altogether a bad thing). Now that we are all home more, maybe even jotting down our thoughts more, wouldn't it also be great to send out our wishes to loved ones near and far whom we might not get to spend the holidays with like we usually do? Just think of how fun it would be to get our kids involved in doing that for their grandparents or other relatives, maybe even take an actual photo you can print off or get copied and put in the mail along with a printed or hand-written note, some family recipes, an inspirational quote on a card they can tuck into their wallets, or a warm blanket or scarf that will make them think of you when using! No one says you have to spend more than a postage stamp - which by the way I think is now up to $.49? - if you at least have some paper on-hand. Not having an envelope isn't even an excuse because you can make your own. Oh, and one last thing...if you are worried about contributing to clutter, both in your home or your recipients', you can always recycle the letters and here's a fun little article to pass on for places that accept used greeting cards!
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