David and Margaret and their special guest, Amy Daughters, tackle the dying art of using handwritten letters to foster relationships.
Wait, like handwritten letters? With a pen?
These days, kids can’t even read cursive. They don’t know where to put stamps on an envelope.
It might be a dying art. But our hosts want our listeners to consider that maybe we shouldn’t let it die.
That Time I Wrote to EVERY ONE of My Facebook Friends …
Amy is a letter writer, a satirist, a keynote speaker, a sports writer, and the author of two books. She believes we can “blow the doors” off connection with handwritten letters.
Her story begins when she found an old camp friend on Facebook. They had been out of touch with for decades. She learned that her friend Dana and and her son, Parker, were going through a difficult time with cancer. After reading about their journey, Amy felt compelled to write handwritten notes of encouragement to Dana.
Amy kept writing letters for weeks. And eventually Amy’s act of kindness through handwritten letters led to a deep and meaningful connection with Dana.
This experience inspired Amy to write 580 letters to every one of her Facebook friends, leading her to write Dear Dana: That time I went crazy and wrote all 580 of my Facebook friends a handwritten letter. The book chronicles her journey and how she discovered the power of letter writing in connecting people and fostering meaningful relationships.
Ultimately, 75 percent of the letter recipients responded in some way and the experience changed Amy’s life.
The Connection between Handwriting and Our Brains
Margaret shared a personal experience about handwriting and memory — and how she learned they are connected. The story involved loaning her notes to a friend in middle school. When her friend forgot to return the notes before the test, she learned that writing by hand helped her retain the information she needed. Later in life, Margaret discovered sometimes she could find new wisdom when she journaled by hand.
David was inspired to start the practice of handwritten “morning pages” by the book The Artist’s Way. He continues to find creativity and inspiration when he invites himself to sit down with an old-fashioned pen and notebook.
We Both Touched THIS Piece of Paper
Our hosts discussed the significance how physical touch connects us through handwritten letters. As in, when you receive a letter, you know that the writer also held that exact piece of paper.
That helps handwritten letters feel more intimate. Additionally, they reveal the recipient’s personality from their handwriting as well as the sender’s imperfections.
David recalled finding an old box of letters in a recent move. The box held letters were from his grandfathers and were written 40 years ago. He shared what a powerful experience it was for his grandfathers to come alive again.
What was the Impact of All Those Letters?
Margaret asked Amy to share, what changed for her after she sent those 580 handwritten letters?
Amy responded that it connected her with people on a deeper level, regardless of political differences. She believes nothing can separate us when we connect like that.
Amy believes that people may hold on to these letters more than they think.
Challenge: Get Your Pens Out
David and Margaret discussed the importance of slowing down and taking time to write letters, emphasizing that it can strengthen relationships. One idea is a letter to express what we love about or appreciate the recipient.
And in the tradition of our podcast guests, Amy challenged the audience to write one hand-written note to a friend or family member — on a piece of paper, a card or a sticky note.