About

Why I started this website:

Writing letters is my favorite way to communicate. It seems I’ve had a lifelong passion for letters both writing and receiving them.

I am an artist by training with a Masters in Art Therapy. It was my need for a stable income that lead me to the post office and a career as a letter carrier. So for 33 years, I got to deliver those “real mail” letters , and witness firsthand the joyful phenomena called a “mail moment.” That’s the smile that appears when someone discovers a real handwritten card or letter in their pile of junk mail.

The discovery of this valuable human response to mail, would not only brighten my day but inspire me to reach out to contact postal “higher ups.” My thinking was: “There’s something really positive here. How could we expand on this?” I pulled on many postal coattails to no avail. I attempted to reach out to the Postmaster General, but was told he only receives emails! And then a fellow letter carrier designed my original website back in 2010, giving me a platform to discuss my passion for letters with those of you who feel similarly.

There is evidence that letters will never completely disappear. Keep in mind those "thank you notes." They are absolutely necessary for wedding gifts, any gifts, actually. Consider that handwritten note of thanks after a job interview and how it very often tips the scales in the sender's favor. Then, voila, you've got the job!

Notice the backlash afoot for digital detox. The desire to unplug fuels the knitting rage, the coloring book craze, and even a heightened interest in home cooking. Stores like Staples, and Barnes & Noble offer fountain pens, stationery, journals, and greeting cards. Calligraphy and penmanship books are showing up in catalogs. Quietly, encouragement is cropping up to support that basic, personal form of expression which can only be found in a handwritten letter. As one young man gushed over a letter, "It was written ONLY for me."

Letter writing is indeed an art. It's a multifaceted creative process that combines pen, paper, handwriting and the literary expression of genuine human sentiments. It's also been scientifically proven that writing by hand stimulates brain activity using fine motor skills that keyboarding bypasses.

"Letters mingle souls." They are a gift of time and heart. They touch and connect like no digital convenience can. They offer the most privacy. They are non-hackable. No batteries required. Hard drives crash. Emails get deleted. Words on paper endure. Letters are keepsakes.

Carol Christmas