:Send a Card:

Feb. 7 is National Send a Card to a Friend Day!

When I was in elementary school, we were invited to participate in a pen pal program. My pen pal was from France and I remember how excited I would get every time one of her posts popped up in our mail box. I loved the envelopes with red and blue stripes on them and how the letters in her words curled, little hallmarks that have felt distinctly French to me ever since. Eventually our exchanges faded. I cannot remember who stopped writing first (probably me) but I was a little sad when I realized my written relationship was over.

That old excitement echoes anytime I receive a personal note from a friend or family member. Reading a letter hand-written by someone has an air of intimacy. Seeing the way they bend their words, maybe they scratched out a mistake or there’s a smudge on the page or a little doodle. You cannot get that same connection in a text.

I recently got Stella into writing letters. She wasn’t sure how to start. So I told her, tell them one thing that has happened to you this week and then ask them one question. That’s all it takes! Once she got going, she found herself sharing way more than just one thing. And now she’s seeing the fruits of her labor because she’s getting letters back. She gets so excited when we tell her she’s got mail to open, a sentiment that feels so familiar.

My calendar has today flagged as National Send a Card to a Friend Day. And I thought, why not? We’re all so disconnected from each other. Sure we text or call or FaceTime but taking the time to write a personal note… that means something a little extra. In Pittsburgh, there’s no better place to get cards than Sapling Press. Their stuff is super smart and a little salty, which is a combination me and my friends thoroughly appreciate.

Regardless of whether you feel compelled to get a special card, you should write to someone. If you’re not sure where to start, offer up one thing that happened to you this week and ask one question. You just might find yourself in a fulfilling pen pal relationship!