In our fast-paced digital world, the art of letter writing has largely fallen by the wayside. We fire off texts and emails without a second thought, but when was the last time you sat down with pen and paper to compose a heartfelt letter to a loved one?

There’s something uniquely special about handwritten letters. The feel of quality stationery, the flow of ink across the page, carefully choosing each word – it’s a sensory and emotional experience that digital communication can’t replicate. A physical letter is a tangible artifact, something to be treasured and revisited over the years.

Letter writing also forces us to slow down and be more thoughtful in our communication. There’s no backspace key when writing by hand. We have to consider our words more carefully, resulting in more meaningful exchanges. And that occasional error that you do run into has to be scribbled off, creating highlights on the letter.

I recently happened to watch a play about writing letters between two friends, and it has really lit a light inside me. So I’ve recently started writing letters again, sending them to far-flung friends and family members. The responses I’ve received, though not in letter form, have been touching. Many have commented on how special it felt to receive a “real” letter in the mail amidst the usual bills and junk.

In our hyperconnected era, there’s something wonderfully intimate and almost radical about communicating through handwritten letters.