The Merits of Snail Mail
When the digital variety fall short46 total reviews
Comment from barbara.wilkey
AMEN!! You snail mail is a bright spot in those people's lives. When we can do that, life is always better for another person. Thank you for sharing this precious contest entry with us. Good luck with the contest.
reply by the author on 03-Jan-2025
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AMEN!! You snail mail is a bright spot in those people's lives. When we can do that, life is always better for another person. Thank you for sharing this precious contest entry with us. Good luck with the contest.
Comment Written 03-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 03-Jan-2025
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Thank you. I appreciate your gracious words here. It's such a simple way to really change a person's day around, isn't it? Thank you for the well-wishes with the contest. xoxo
Comment from Teri7
Rachelle, This is a great nonfiction writing you have done about snail mail. I truly prefer snail mail over texts any day. You have written the truth my friend. I am the person that started sending birthday cards, anniversary cards and get-well cards for our church. It makes my heart happy knowing that hopefully it will touch someone when they receive it. love and blessings, Teri
reply by the author on 03-Jan-2025
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Rachelle, This is a great nonfiction writing you have done about snail mail. I truly prefer snail mail over texts any day. You have written the truth my friend. I am the person that started sending birthday cards, anniversary cards and get-well cards for our church. It makes my heart happy knowing that hopefully it will touch someone when they receive it. love and blessings, Teri
Comment Written 03-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 03-Jan-2025
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And that's the thing: It seems EVERYBODY prefers snail mail! I send Gt Well notes to students who needed to cancel a lesson because of sickness, and they LOVE them. Ditto for everyone at your church whose lives you touch with your snail mails, as well. I honestly believe it can change the world. Thanks for this lovely review. xo
Comment from Marilyn Hamilton
An excellent entry for the Nonfiction Writing Contest. I so agree with you on this topic! It makes me so sad that letter writing has dwindled down to almost nothing and I do my own part to keep it going, Even my thirty-something daughter does her part. There is no better way to give a personal greeting and really leave the person knowing that you cared enough to write.
reply by the author on 03-Jan-2025
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An excellent entry for the Nonfiction Writing Contest. I so agree with you on this topic! It makes me so sad that letter writing has dwindled down to almost nothing and I do my own part to keep it going, Even my thirty-something daughter does her part. There is no better way to give a personal greeting and really leave the person knowing that you cared enough to write.
Comment Written 03-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 03-Jan-2025
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You and me both. It's a travesty. But good on you for turning out a thirty-year-old child who's a letter-writer!! That's impressive, indeed! Thanks for this very validating review.
xoxox
Comment from Sandra Stoner-Mitchell
I never thought of it that way. I gave up using snail mail years ago, when the internet took over. I think I'll start again. I've been thinking a lot about how I could leave a special note to my boys and my grandchildren after I pass away, something that tells them how their lives enriched mine. I think I will start by writing letters, one to post and write different ones for when I've gone, and keep them in seperate bundles. No, I'm not on my way out yet, I nearly went a year ago, and it has played on my mind that they wouldn't have known just how much I loved them all. Even though I tell them daily, to write it down is something they can keep. Your post here gave me my answer, and I'm so glad you wrote it. I think those letters you wrote to your brother must have meant such a lot to him and probably kept him going. We don't know what others are suffering, but I'm sure the knowledge that he still had them when he passed over must have been so emotional for you. I enjoyed reading this, Rachelle, well done, and good luck in the contest. :) Sandra xx
reply by the author on 03-Jan-2025
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I never thought of it that way. I gave up using snail mail years ago, when the internet took over. I think I'll start again. I've been thinking a lot about how I could leave a special note to my boys and my grandchildren after I pass away, something that tells them how their lives enriched mine. I think I will start by writing letters, one to post and write different ones for when I've gone, and keep them in seperate bundles. No, I'm not on my way out yet, I nearly went a year ago, and it has played on my mind that they wouldn't have known just how much I loved them all. Even though I tell them daily, to write it down is something they can keep. Your post here gave me my answer, and I'm so glad you wrote it. I think those letters you wrote to your brother must have meant such a lot to him and probably kept him going. We don't know what others are suffering, but I'm sure the knowledge that he still had them when he passed over must have been so emotional for you. I enjoyed reading this, Rachelle, well done, and good luck in the contest. :) Sandra xx
Comment Written 03-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 03-Jan-2025
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I love your idea to start sending posts to your boys and grandchildren. No matter how much we SAY we love someone, nothing trumps the power of the WRITTEN word. So your plan is an excellent one, indeed.
Thank you for this beautiful review. xoxo
Comment from humpwhistle
Brava! For single-handedly keeping the art of letter writing alive. I can honestly say that I know no one else who is such an ardent supporter of the United States Postal Service. Your stories of letter-writing at the various stages of your life are delightful.
Sadly, you are an anachronism. Hell, people don't even write script any more, never mind write letters. Platforms like X (Twitter) even sold us on the concept of shrinking communication down to a handful of characters--not words--characters. No wonder people are beginning to speak like telegrams.
I do not write letters. But, on occasion, I write rambling emails that are intended to mimic the art of pen/paper correspondence.
Shelley, I think maybe you can cut down the number of times you refer to 'snail mail.' We get it. We got it. And here it comes again.
As I read this piece, I kept thinking about how much history has been preserved in the form of letters. C'mon, Ken Burns built his brilliant documentary about the Civil War around surviving letters. And how much more did we learn about Sam Clemens, and so many other literary luminaries, because they were avid letter writers? Maybe you have a follow-up piece waiting in the wings?
You get my postage stamp of approval.
Peace, Lee
reply by the author on 03-Jan-2025
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Brava! For single-handedly keeping the art of letter writing alive. I can honestly say that I know no one else who is such an ardent supporter of the United States Postal Service. Your stories of letter-writing at the various stages of your life are delightful.
Sadly, you are an anachronism. Hell, people don't even write script any more, never mind write letters. Platforms like X (Twitter) even sold us on the concept of shrinking communication down to a handful of characters--not words--characters. No wonder people are beginning to speak like telegrams.
I do not write letters. But, on occasion, I write rambling emails that are intended to mimic the art of pen/paper correspondence.
Shelley, I think maybe you can cut down the number of times you refer to 'snail mail.' We get it. We got it. And here it comes again.
As I read this piece, I kept thinking about how much history has been preserved in the form of letters. C'mon, Ken Burns built his brilliant documentary about the Civil War around surviving letters. And how much more did we learn about Sam Clemens, and so many other literary luminaries, because they were avid letter writers? Maybe you have a follow-up piece waiting in the wings?
You get my postage stamp of approval.
Peace, Lee
Comment Written 03-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 03-Jan-2025
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Your postage stamp of approval means the world. And I agree; I need to re-route some of those "snail mails." Thanks for the suggestion; I knew I could count on you.
xoxox
Comment from Cecilia A Heiskary
Rachelle,
This is an awesome write. There is something to snail mail.
I used to write to my mom when I was in the Navy and when we went through her stuff my letters were among them.
My brother-in-law is suffering from lung cancer and I'll send him a card a couple times a month and it cheers him up.
I worked as a window clerk for seven years and since the invention of the internet the mail volume went way down.
Great job my friend
Cecilia
reply by the author on 03-Jan-2025
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Rachelle,
This is an awesome write. There is something to snail mail.
I used to write to my mom when I was in the Navy and when we went through her stuff my letters were among them.
My brother-in-law is suffering from lung cancer and I'll send him a card a couple times a month and it cheers him up.
I worked as a window clerk for seven years and since the invention of the internet the mail volume went way down.
Great job my friend
Cecilia
Comment Written 03-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 03-Jan-2025
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Wayne Fowler, a fellow FanStorian, was a postal worker, too, and said the same thing about the dwindling number of letters as time went on in his career there. He also said the carriers held letter-writers in higher esteem and took care to place their snail mails before the general deliveries so they wouldn't be missed. I loved reading that.
I guarantee those cards to your BIL make a substantial difference in his day every time they arrive. You're a good woman to do that.
Thank you for this warm and very gracious review. xoxo
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You are welcome
Comment from Debbie Pope
Oh, Rachelle, I love, love, love this. And I am flat out of six star ratings. I apologize, but I am sure that this post will get tons of six star ratings because it is exceptional.
You take me back into my own life, making me remember the power of letters. I've saved letters over the years, and last year, I read them all. Took me days. I'm doing family scrapbooks and decided to include letters from my grandmothers who they never met.
My favorite passages from this post are "snail mails are the equivalent of a lifeline that we're both tugging on to keep her head above water." and When people ask, "Who has the time to do all that?", my response is simple: "Someone who cares about you."
I'm glad you wrote and shared this one.
reply by the author on 03-Jan-2025
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Oh, Rachelle, I love, love, love this. And I am flat out of six star ratings. I apologize, but I am sure that this post will get tons of six star ratings because it is exceptional.
You take me back into my own life, making me remember the power of letters. I've saved letters over the years, and last year, I read them all. Took me days. I'm doing family scrapbooks and decided to include letters from my grandmothers who they never met.
My favorite passages from this post are "snail mails are the equivalent of a lifeline that we're both tugging on to keep her head above water." and When people ask, "Who has the time to do all that?", my response is simple: "Someone who cares about you."
I'm glad you wrote and shared this one.
Comment Written 03-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 03-Jan-2025
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Thank you so very much for this, because, when I originally posted it, I felt worried that it was coming across as luxurious and/or preachy. So thank for the reassurance. I couldn't appreciate it more from a writer as excellent and discerning as you.
I love that you spent days reading vintage snail mails. I'm saving mine for when I move to a retirement home. Hopefully, I'll still have the vision to read them. Either that or a caregiver who can decipher cursive. That's a dying breed, you know!
Xoxoxo
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I have stacks of love letters from my dad to mom when they were dating. I don't know what to do with them. I really don't want anyone to share something so personal of theirs. What do you think? My sister does not even know they exist.
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That's a tough one. I guess you just keep them and let whoever handles your treasures when you die savor them, too...because they are, after all, extremely special and will leave an indelible mark on the next person who reads them, too.
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Thank you. I just KNOW KNOW KNOW that my mom would not want anyone to see them, but I think they are special.
Comment from Mrs. KT
Good morning, Rachelle!
What a treat to enjoy and savor this cold and stormy morning!
You have not only shared an intimate part of your life with readers, but, hopefully, you have inspired readers to begin composing and sending their own "snail mail."
How I love to write notes and send cards to my friends and loved ones via "snail mail," too.
I also have bundles of letters that my mother faithfully wrote to me while I was attending college, graduate school, and even during the early years of my marriage. How she found time to do so, still amazes me as she was a master floral designer, and I know for a fact that she could only find time to write to me in the wee hours of a morning.
I, too, reread them; her penmanship was glorious...
And I also treasure the few letters my father sent to me over the years.
He was definitely a man of few words, but they were always heartfelt.
And I love to send my three little grandsons notes and cards. My daughter, Rachel, tells me that she rereads my cards and notes to Bowdie and Jude... Now that makes my heart sing...
Again, thank you for this delightful treat... and remembrance this morning!
Happy New Year!
Happy Snail Mail Writing!
fondly,
diane
reply by the author on 03-Jan-2025
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Good morning, Rachelle!
What a treat to enjoy and savor this cold and stormy morning!
You have not only shared an intimate part of your life with readers, but, hopefully, you have inspired readers to begin composing and sending their own "snail mail."
How I love to write notes and send cards to my friends and loved ones via "snail mail," too.
I also have bundles of letters that my mother faithfully wrote to me while I was attending college, graduate school, and even during the early years of my marriage. How she found time to do so, still amazes me as she was a master floral designer, and I know for a fact that she could only find time to write to me in the wee hours of a morning.
I, too, reread them; her penmanship was glorious...
And I also treasure the few letters my father sent to me over the years.
He was definitely a man of few words, but they were always heartfelt.
And I love to send my three little grandsons notes and cards. My daughter, Rachel, tells me that she rereads my cards and notes to Bowdie and Jude... Now that makes my heart sing...
Again, thank you for this delightful treat... and remembrance this morning!
Happy New Year!
Happy Snail Mail Writing!
fondly,
diane
Comment Written 03-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 03-Jan-2025
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Of course you, of all the writers I love on here, would share my prolific love for correspondence. And I love that you and Rachel are instilling it in her boys. How else does the cycle continue without practice?
Thank you for such a warm and gracious review. I couldn't be more delighted with the friendship we have forged both on and off this site. You are a gem. Xoxoxo
Comment from GWHARGIS
Two out of sixes gold stars should be awarded for this. Texting is fleeting. Such a perfect description. A letter is forever. The writing, an act of love, the words coming straight from the heart. I have tucked your specially written snail mail in my box that collects precious things. You are spot on and show that this is your act of love. Beautiful, Rachelle. Gretchen
reply by the author on 03-Jan-2025
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Two out of sixes gold stars should be awarded for this. Texting is fleeting. Such a perfect description. A letter is forever. The writing, an act of love, the words coming straight from the heart. I have tucked your specially written snail mail in my box that collects precious things. You are spot on and show that this is your act of love. Beautiful, Rachelle. Gretchen
Comment Written 03-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 03-Jan-2025
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Okay, this review has actually made ME well up!! Thank you for touching me very deeply with these kind words. For the all the aggravations FS has bestowed, I'd gladly go through them all again because this site is where I had the privilege of meeting wonderful you. xoxox
Comment from Sugarray77
I haven't been moved by a write in a long time, Rachelle, but this touches me deeply. Thank you for reminding me of how much it means to reach out through the mail. A wonderfully, talented write. Thank you.
Melissa
reply by the author on 03-Jan-2025
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I haven't been moved by a write in a long time, Rachelle, but this touches me deeply. Thank you for reminding me of how much it means to reach out through the mail. A wonderfully, talented write. Thank you.
Melissa
Comment Written 03-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 03-Jan-2025
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I appreciate this from the bottom of my heart, Melissa. Thank you so very much, because when I first posted it, I worried that it fell on the side of lugubriousness. I appreciate that you felt it was more on the side of 'touching.' I value your opinion always, so I feel relieved. xoxox
