Writers Island 6--The letter.
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The letter
The letter arrived as unexpectedly as a cool gust of wind on a sultry day. It brought so much joy-- not for its contents, but for the fact that the sender had taken so much effort. It was in response to a birthday card I had sent earlier.
“Dear Preeti”, it began.
“Thank you so much for your thoughtful birthday card. That the heart remembered is what is needed—delay did not matter. My initial reaction was to send a short message on the cell-phone. But decided otherwise as I feel that if one can sit and send a short letter, as you have done with the card, it may go a long way?” It continued and it was a treat to read the rest of it.
These are the times of cell phone text messages and e-mails and Instant messaging. Who writes letters any more with a pen?
I am so glad, some people still do. This letter was sent to me a few months back, by someone I admire a lot. Nothing beats the joy of holding in your hand a piece of paper, on which the sender has hand written his thoughts. There is something magical in reading a ‘real’ letter, compared to an e-mail or a text message on the cell phone. The letter occupies a place of pride on my desk. I read it off and on. It brings me so much joy.
It has indeed gone a long way.
If you haven’t written a letter for ages, try sending one today. One does not have to wait for an occasion, to bring some unexpected joy, into your life and the life of your loved ones. It will mean a lot to the person who receives it and I am sure, it will be read many times over.
Have you received any ‘real’ letters? Or do you intend to send one soon?
If you like to share, I’m listening.
the only negative point with letter is you have to wait long to know whether the person received it and a loooong time to receive his reply...in this fast moving world i think we need instant communication...but still i would love to receive a letter
ReplyDeleteI still treasure a letter my grandfather wrote me. I have a little bundle of many such memories...this is an age of instnat communication but the pleasure one gets when one writes and receives is immense :)
ReplyDeletenicely written, ps...
if you hadn't i may have written on this soon :))
few months back some of us friends had this same discussion, and then one of my friends from vietnam send me a beautiful letter :-D it was a joy to recive the letter, and i treasure it. I used to get and write letters while I was in college (3-4 yrs bk) but after that, i havnt written a real letter. but i intened to write one to my friend who send me the letetr soon.
ReplyDeleteI have a bundle of letters close to my heart - letter, post cards and b'day/new year cards. it is such a soothing and warm experience to go through them. thnx for reminding us about this almost extinct art :)
There is something very special about receiving a letter from somone. A handwritten one - not typed. Not so many years ago it was the norm. Today it's a lost art. I doubt kids today would have clue where to start.
ReplyDeleteEmail seems to have taken over now. I much prefer letters too. I used to write to my grandmother all the time before she passed away, even when she couldn't reply. My mum told me she used to love my letters and kept them all in her bag. When she died, they found she had kept them all going back many years. I miss her letters. It is a shame no-one has time to write any more when it used to be so commmon place.
ReplyDeleteoh...nothing as special as those handwritings on a piece of paper. I still write adn get letterslike this, and its so treasured
ReplyDeleteThis really feels so good...
Given a choice, I'd pick a hadwritten letter, a childhood handmade greeting card and a "just to say Hi" note.
ReplyDeleteThough emails have take over me, but I love writing notes to my roomie - our times dont match - and I love it when I find her notes to me. We share a special relationship...much of it is due to the handwritten notes. :)
Nothing can match them.
i haven't received an actual letter in forever... perhaps because i haven't written one?????
ReplyDeleteI would pick a hand written letter anytime! :) I remember the time when my friend relocated to UK and I was in India. We would send emails AND snail mails. What is discussed in a snail mail will NOT be discussed on the daily mails!
ReplyDeleteIt used to be so much fun. I miss those "good old" days!
Vidya
Yep all the time - I have moved around so much as a kid that my life revolved around snail mails...
ReplyDeleteYou are right the pleasure it brings forth cannot be described.
Thanks,
UL
Nice to get a letter"as a cool gust wind on a sultry day" Love taht line. I can feel your excitement and I know the feeling .
ReplyDeleteIn december I get a lot of christmas post from overseas and in a few weeks I go running everyday to the mail box.
Real letters are the best!
ReplyDeleteI will handwrite you one, if you send me your email address. I will have so much fun doing it, and I will drink a hot cup of chai while I do it.
Then, when my letter arrives, pop the kettle on and make yourself a cup.
It will be just like we had a cup together!!!
xo
Gillian
Sigh!! Yea.. I don't remember the last time I sent or received a letter :(
ReplyDeleteI really like how you show how precious handwritten letters are... even in your having your blog in the form of a notebook! I have many letters saved from loved ones to me over the years. They mean a lot to me.
ReplyDeleteWonderful use of words - great writing and a thoughtful post, for sure!
ReplyDeleteI could not agree with you more, I admire hand written letters, It shows that little bit of more care..
ReplyDelete:)
ReplyDeleteIts true. With all the possible means of communication the old way of expression seems to come close to extinction.
I had a pen pal when i was a teenager. And i remembered how it felt to receive a hand written letter. Something more genuine and feels like the person really took an effort. It was great experince for me personally. I Remembered sending a letter once typed all out and printed. My pen pal wrote and told me how he loved the letter but always loved a hand written one. And that when i picked out how someone treasures it when you take a time.
I saved my pen pal's life with one of my letters to him. :D
Beautiful post that brought beautiful memories.
I was thinking of surprising my cousin in Australia by writing a letter recently.:)
Cheers!
oh yeah Ps.. not to forget to share, the feeling of looking forward to receive each letter and finally receiving it can be pretty rewarding..:P
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.;D
Hey... I do remember the joy of writing letters. Infact hand written letters are all I have as memories of a deceased friend... Its an art these days I suppose....
ReplyDeleteSweet post... Brought back a rush of memories...and ALL of 'em, sweeeeeeeeeet!
Happy Birthday to Atul..... :-)
ReplyDeleterm: True.But there is joy in waiting too!
ReplyDeleteThinking aloud:I too have a treasured letter from my grandpa!
xh:Wow!A letter from Vietnam.Am sure your friend, to whom you intend writing will be delighted.
Keith: True.I wonder if kids these days write letters anymore!
Bob-kat:I can relate to that.I too used to write to my grandfather regularly.After he passed away, we found all my letters kept safely in a trunk.He had re-read them many times.I think these days we do not make the time.
Prats: Yes--you said it.I agree so much.
ReplyDeleteAdi crazy:Thats sweet!I hadnt thought of those!
Paisley: Where do you stay? Like Gillian, I volunteer to send you one! Mail me your address.
Vidya:Wow--snail mails AND emails--both?! That friendship must have been really special.
UL: Mine too!
Gillian: Wow! Let me check your profile and see if you have given your email id there.
J: Where In pune are you staying? I know you are missing Bangalore.(I am too!) But at least you get to go back there.
ReplyDeleteLea:I too love the notebook template.I too have a collection of treasured letters.Thanks for stopping by.
Tumblewords: You are really kind.Thanks!
Rambler: me too.
Sweetsticky:a pen pal is one thing I never had!I remember how fascinated I used to be those days.Hope your cousin doesnt read these comments--else the surprise may be spoilt!!
Ritu:Thank you from Atul!! I too have a collection of letters.
;) she is way younger than me and has no idea about my blogging experience.
ReplyDeleteso its all safe.:)
hey preethi!
ReplyDeleteA post after my own heart....I wanted to express how much love and pride I feel for my dad and wrote him a letter on his birthday describing all the events that stand out in my mind and heart, right from my childhood till today. He loved it, to say the least!!! and....i felt so glad that I expressed what i felt for him, no regrets later....
the only thing i seem to recieve from the post are bills...but i remember waiting for that elusive letters from my parents when i was in boarding...i think my whole life then from the age of 4 was revolved arnd those letters... sniff sniff...now, look wht u made me do!
ReplyDeleteI did. I wrote a letter to a friend recently. And received an email in reply. Sigh!
ReplyDeleteIt's so long since I recieved a 'real' letter..I can't actually remember when..it was probably last Christmas although I have had a couple of postcards during that time.You are right, it is very special..it's as if yoiu recieve part of the person who wroote it...then there is the smell of the paper and the ink..to touch what the writer has touched.!
ReplyDeletelovely post.. i have bundles of letters from childhood.. i still save every letter someone sends me.. now its just hte occassional one from grand parents.. otherwise its all emails!!! You are right.. I should write a letter to someone and make their day!!
ReplyDeleteGreat post again...
THATS GREAT HOW ARE YOU?
ReplyDeleteNostalgic post PS!
ReplyDeleteyes I still write letters like that and I love receiving em!
Keshi.
Keshi: Me too! Although its been really long since I have written.
ReplyDeleteKaylee:I'm doing good.How are you?
Preethi: Have left a comment on your post.Do check! Thanks for stopping by.
Gettingtherenow: you must ask for your stamps back! :-) No--you ust DEMAND a hand written letter.
Tys:I'm sure you were too busy at boarding school to wait for letters.The only experience i have of these schools are what i read in books and what a friend who went to one told me.
Niall:Very right! That was one thing I meant to express but forgot--you said it.
Sweetsticky:That way you are smart!I should have known!!
well yaa...have written many a letters but most of them remained unposted because of fear they wudent be able to be read out thanks to my illegible handwriting :p ...
ReplyDeletebut i do know the joy of receiving a hand written letter or card as compared to todays modernday hitech e-cards and mails :-/...
its a different feeling altogether...makes u feel very special and warm from inside :)
I AM GETTING BETTER HAVE BEEN SICK :(
ReplyDeleteno doubt that there is nothing as wonderful as a letter, but many people don't seem to appreciate it.
ReplyDeletecannot be used to update anyone anymore (because of zillion other ways to do it faster) but the dearest way to communicate emotions.
am also reminded of a blogpost i made two years ago about receiving a letter from a dear friend:
http://vineshks.blogspot.com/2005/07/scent-of-envelope.html
i haven't written too many letters after that, but the desire is always there :-)
Nice one PS.
ReplyDeleteI spent a decade in a hostel and letters brought so much joy to my mundane life.
Kaylee: i dropped by this morning and left you a comment.Hope you are feeling better now.
ReplyDeleteVinesh: true--other means are faster.and yes--'scent of an envelope' seems to be an art long forgotten!
Pri:I hope you post them before christmas!
Dame's diary: Yes--Even I used to wait for them--before email took over.
Ah!! I remember talking about the snail mail not too long ago... well then... it really does feel good to see a letter addressed to teh self sent by someone we really cherish.. adn yes, i do intend to send one shortly, just to go with the book that i'm gifting to someone.... the book is anything for you ma'am, a wonderful narrative of the travails of an engg student while he tries to bend all the laws in the form book just so that he could reach to his girl... from delhi to chennai, via pune... wonderful story!! and for some it happens to be reality to a certain extent!! :)
ReplyDelete