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.
Hi Aarti,
ReplyDeleteIt is very true that we have forgotten the simple bliss of communicating with each other through letters.I remember when writing letters to my aunts and cousins, with a dictionary next to me to correspond with new words.My aunts would be commenting to my parents that she writes like a pro.
I still would love to correspond that way but life has becomes so complex and the tendency to be preoccupied has become unavoidable.You need to be free to collect thoughts and put it in a interesting way to the reader.My observation is that we have become so formal that we have lost the sense of appreciating life.I guess that is the reason why it is easier to talk few words and get it over with it than literally sitting down and ponder for the right words.
Hi Love,
ReplyDeleteA wonderful piece of writing ON writing :)
Although personally I haven't written many letters, I certainly see the value in doing it. Our child(ren) and this generation should heed the encouragement presented by this article - and grab a pen and write away!
Ahh...gone were the days when I had 'pen pals' and excitedly looked forward to the postman when one of such letters arrives. Keyboard pals just ain't quite the same. Haha. :-P
ReplyDelete