Does anyone hand-write letters anymore?

I got an email from my mom last night about my grandmother. After reading that she's not doing very well, I did a little reflecting on my relationship with family and close friends. I have to say that I feel pretty good about my ability to take the time to write to those who are special to me.

For everyday notes of hello and such, an email is normally sufficient for most, but I have always hand-written my grandmother or my husband's family (as well as those relatives no longer living) and lengthier, more personal notes to my friends.

In the digital age that we are in, it seems that no one actually sits down to write a letter by hand anymore. Do you?

I handwrite Thank You letters and such (and I even close it with a wax seal). And I also reply to anything that needs to be replied.

Originally Posted by BimmerMlis

I got an email from my mom last night about my grandmother. After reading that she's not doing very well, I did a little reflecting on my relationship with family and close friends. I have to say that I feel pretty good about my ability to take the time to write to those who are special to me.

For everyday notes of hello and such, an email is normally sufficient for most, but I have always hand-written my grandmother or my husband's family (as well as those relatives no longer living) and lengthier, more personal notes to my friends.

In the digital age that we are in, it seems that no one actually sits down to write a letter by hand anymore. Do you?

It's a lost art. Personally, most of my handwritten letters are always accompanied by a card of some sort... (special occasion type thing).

p.s. sorry to hear about your grandmother...

Hand-written thank you's are a must in my book, even if I have personally spoken to the gift giver and thanked them (in person or phone).

I'll hand write thank you notes. That is about all. When I send a birthday card or something, I make it online and have my message printed insde the card. If you could see my handwriting you'd know why.

Originally Posted by BimmerMlis

I got an email from my mom last night about my grandmother. After reading that she's not doing very well, I did a little reflecting on my relationship with family and close friends. I have to say that I feel pretty good about my ability to take the time to write to those who are special to me.

For everyday notes of hello and such, an email is normally sufficient for most, but I have always hand-written my grandmother or my husband's family (as well as those relatives no longer living) and lengthier, more personal notes to my friends.

In the digital age that we are in, it seems that no one actually sits down to write a letter by hand anymore. Do you?

My mother died in a car accident in March. While I was going through her things, I found that she had kept every card and letter my brother, sister, or I had ever written to her. It made me glad that I had taken the time to handwrite letters to her fairly often. You just never know how much those kinds of things will mean to people...

Originally Posted by tommyd

It's a lost art. Personally, most of my handwritten letters are always accompanied by a card of some sort... (special occasion type thing).

Think about in the old days when Indians sent smoke signals and then went to sending hand written letters.

Originally Posted by Claresecl

My mother died in a car accident in March. While I was going through her things, I found that she had kept every card and letter my brother, sister, or I had ever written to her. It made me glad that I had taken the time to handwrite letters to her fairly often. You just never know how much those kinds of things will mean to people...

I'm very sorry to hear about your mother.

I know that my mother also keeps every card, note or letter that any of her children and grandchildren ever give or send to her...she also has a box of letters that my father sent to her while he was in the service before they were married, she has kept them for over 40 years. My father died a few years back and I know my mother treasures those letters.

It's like people who dont have computers and cant get email just "dont exist" anymore. But then letter writing has been going downhill for many years. Do you remember Ken Burns "Civil War" and the very poignant letters written to wives and sweethearts? Doesnt happen anymore.

I still handwrite letters on nice stationery (Cranes is best). In fact, when my wife and I were "courting" long distance between San Francisco and Atlanta we explicitly corresponded by letter. We talked on the phone of course, but we didn't exchange a single email. It was AWESOME. I wouldn't have done it any other way. In fact, I framed the first letter she sent me. By the end of the year, (we met in SF in August of 2001) we were driving cross country to Atlanta and I proposed to her when we were at the Grand Canyon on New Years day.

So I think letterwriting is probably one of the most romantic, classic things to do in any relationship, whatever stage you're in.

Post cards are great, too. Short and sweet.

Handwritten thank you letters rock as well.

Originally Posted by adrian/chrisbmw

So I think letterwriting is probably one of the most romantic, classic things to do in any relationship, whatever stage you're in.

So romantic!!

Originally Posted by BimmerMlis

So romantic!!

Yeah, my wife seems to think so also.

Actually, I have a great book on the subject of writing love letters .. I can't quite remember the name of it right now. But the craziest coincidence happened when I visited my then girlfriend, now wife in Atlanta in October 2001 and saw that that she had the same book! It was a like a breath of fresh air. I was wowed! So we were definitely on the same wavelength when we wrote letters to each other.

Im dragging up a super old thread which I found when searching for something totally diffrent, but i think its an awesome thread.

I fire off about 600texts a month on my phone, maybe 20 emails a day at work, and another 5 a day at home, plus instant messaging, facebook, forums, etc, and hand writing letters does get forgotten I think.

Last weekend I was firing some 4inch woodscrews into a gate and with a cordless drill my uncal bought me for christmass last year and was thinking 'the drill is bloody good, what a great present it is' but I didnt write a letter at the time, or since. And maybe I ort to.

Like Adrian pretty much the only letters I have hand written since I was about 6-8 are in the last year or two to my girlfriend who spend lots of time working away, which is very nice. So yes. Write letters people!!


Daniel

Originally Posted by Melissa

I got an email from my mom last night about my grandmother. After reading that she's not doing very well, I did a little reflecting on my relationship with family and close friends. I have to say that I feel pretty good about my ability to take the time to write to those who are special to me.

For everyday notes of hello and such, an email is normally sufficient for most, but I have always hand-written my grandmother or my husband's family (as well as those relatives no longer living) and lengthier, more personal notes to my friends.

In the digital age that we are in, it seems that no one actually sits down to write a letter by hand anymore. Do you?

nope. i send hand written thank you cards for just about everything! ...but to check up and KIT with friends and family, I email. Both of my grandparents email too, so it's all good. (and they're on Facebook, so it's much easier to keep up with everyone) I've left my fiancee and a few friends little notes here and there, but not actual letters or anything. ...texting is much more efficient.

Nope, no handwritten letters here. I think people appreciate being able to read what you send them, so i type it. My handwriting was kindly described by another Bimmerfest member as looking like that of "a 4 year old on bath salts" if you were wondering what it looks like .

Sent from my LG Revolution 4G using BimmerApp

Other than thank you cards for very specific and rare situations, I don't hand write anything. If I'm thing about someone and want them to know that, I use a telephone, email, text, facebook post, whatever.

On the same note, I also don't own a horse and my house doesn't have a fireplace or gas lighting (but I will still light a candle on certain occasions).

Holy thread bump!
I only hand-write thank you notes these days.

My dad hand writes everything, because he hates computers. He hand writes letters so my mom can type them on the computer for him to print. Or he just sends them hand written.

Wow, killer thread. Wonder why I hadn't seen this before.

Anyways, I honestly wish that letter writing was one of the only ways of communication. Yeah, honestly. It might be the English major in me, but I love looking at old letters from Samuel Johnson, Emerson, or John Keats:

edit: Forgot to say, this was a letter from Keats to his sister (named Fanny) about their brother who was dying from TB. John Keats was trying to prepare his sister for his death, and as I recall, he had already died when this letter was written. Kinda cool.

Originally Posted by zachiepie

Wow, killer thread. Wonder why I hadn't seen this before.

Anyways, I honestly wish that letter writing was one of the only ways of communication. Yeah, honestly. It might be the English major in me, but I love looking at old letters from Samuel Johnson, Emerson, or John Keats:

edit: Forgot to say, this was a letter from Keats to his sister (named Fanny) about their brother who was dying from TB. John Keats was trying to prepare his sister for his death, and as I recall, he had already died when this letter was written. Kinda cool.

Letters of Note is a great site.

Sent from my XT907 using Bimmer App

Originally Posted by Melissa

Holy thread bump!
I only hand-write thank you notes these days.

I didn't know you're still lurking around...

Now that my kids are older, we have them make cards for others instead of buying from store. They also made a X'mas card for their grandparents

Here's what I use to write these days...

Originally Posted by Melissa

Letters of Note is a great site.

Sent from my XT907 using Bimmer App

I never heard of that site before, thanks!

Originally Posted by Melissa

Letters of Note is a great site.

Sent from my XT907 using Bimmer App

Yeah it's way cool. I guess they used to fill the piece of paper with loads of writing, because when you sent the letter, the receiver had to pay for it, and they just wanted to make it worth it.

I just went through some old files yesterday and found letters from my dad, now deceased, to me. It got me thinking about this subject; and thinking about how just having those papers give me something special from him. His own handwriting was a chronicle in its own way as the script gradually deteriorated from his dementia.

It got me thinking that a hand written note in this day in age is more than just the message in the words. The time it takes to sit and write a note means that the person writing it took that much time to focus on you. You were in their heart and mind for that space of time; which could be a lot, compared to other media. As the most time-consuming way to communicate, a hand-written note is a gift. The gift of time; which we seem to value very highly and squander in the pursuit of selfish things.

I typically throw away pre-printed and signed greeting cards right away.

I keep handwritten letters forever.