While checking your mailbox should be a small slice of exhilaration each day, it is instead a dreaded moment for many, as most expect nothing more than bills or grocery catalogues. However, a percentage of people don’t feel that way. These are the people who still keep up with the sweet habit of personal letter sending. This practice adds a bit more care to our world that seems to sometimes get lost in this day and age.
Snail mail went from being one of the most utilized and only forms of communication in the 18th to mid 20th century, to being one of the least utilized forms of communication in the 21st century due to the saturation of instantaneous communication like text, call and email.
While “snail mail” may not be the quickest form of communication by a long shot, it is uniquely sweeter than many other forms of communication because it takes more effort. Going against the grain of typical communication and taking that time to slow down is what makes letter sending so special. Having that physical representation of effort, that someone cares about them means something to people.
Siri Dorsch, a junior at University of Oregon, used to go to San Diego State University her freshman year. She received weekly postcards from her dad as it was the first time she had been away from home for such a long period of time. She recounted why receiving letters rather than texts from her dad was so much more special. “It feels way more personal because it’s ingrained in our daily lives to text … there’s so much more effort involved in writing a letter,” Dorsch said.
Surprising as it is, many people these days have never sent a letter and many don’t even know how. If you’ve never sent one, you wouldn’t know the good feeling it gives you, and the even better feeling you get when you receive one. Linda Cook, 80 years old, has been sending letters since she was a child. “I can’t pick a favorite one, they’re all so special,” Linda said when asked what her favorite letter she received was.
Letters make a difference. Linda recounts one of the letters she sent that changed her life. “I wrote a letter and sent it to the people that owned the house I was looking to live in. I told them about how much I loved the house and loved the neighborhood. And they told me the reason they took our offer (for the house) over other people who had offered more money was the letter I sent them,” Linda said.
Personal letter sending is in no way dead; the UPS annual report to congress reports that out of the 108.7 billion pieces of mail sent in 2025, about 10.7 billion pieces were first class single piece volume mail such as letters and postcards, making up just under ten percent of all mail sent in the year.
Though it means going out of your way to take a trip to the post office, it might just be worth it to buy a book of stamps and a couple of envelopes.
