It was during my primary school that I was introduced to letter-writing. Took me a while to get the format right, but given a choice it was easier to write a letter than an essay. And as a primary school teacher I did the same with my students - introduced letter writing before introducing short essays. And they loved it.
I was really able to put my letter writing skills into practice when my 'single' mom went to a foreign land to provide for my family (siblings and me). We stayed with my grandma in a small town and as a teacher herself, my grandma made sure that we wrote to our mom regularly about what we learned in school, the various activities we were involved in, detailed descriptions of our trips to the zoo and to the parks and so on. I guess these letters really helped to keep us connected to my mom who could only visit us once a year.
This writing ritual initiated by my grandma became a habit and a passion. It was no longer a pressure but a pleasure. It became a heart-to-heart chat filled with emotions. This exercise also helped to increase and enhance my vocabulary, I guess. I had to find the right words to convey the right message and meaning. When this became a passion, it was not just my mom I wrote to but to my friends and relatives as well. It evokes a desire to stay connected to your loved ones.
I guess letter writing is more than just the random "hi's and hellos" and "likes and follows" on facebook and twitter. When you start writing, you write with an intention engaging your senses - you think, you rethink, you construct sentences and reconstruct them. It's a wonderful exercise to engage your heart, mind, thoughts and emotions.
The best part about letter writing? Signing off, folding the letter and sliding it inside the envelope, sealing it, putting the address, walking to the post office to get the stamp affixed and dropping it into the red box. Ohhh... that's a bliss!
I enjoy writing letters and I hope you do too.
