Recently, I decided to introduce my daughters to the charming old-fashioned concept of having pen pals. With my best enthusiastic mom voice, I started: “When I was your age, I had this amazing thing called a pen pal! We exchanged letters and even though we never met, we became really good friends. We shared our favorite things, asked each other questions, and sometimes even sent little surprises like stickers! Can you imagine getting a letter in the mail just for you?” My 7-year-old stared blankly, leaving me to wonder if I had oversold it a bit.
Just as I started to lose hope, my older daughter’s thoughtful expression shifted into a smile. I was actually trying to steer the conversation towards her cousin, Kelly, who is almost the same age and lives in New Jersey (hi Kelly!). I thought if my eldest was on board, my youngest would soon follow. But of course, I was reminded that my girls are total opposites. What captivates one might bore the other. Eventually, my oldest, Emma, took the plunge and wrote a letter to a friend who moved away last year. As for Kelly, well, I’m still working on that one. Still, a letter made it to the mailbox, so I consider that a partial victory.
I was genuinely surprised by how much effort it took to engage my girls in the idea of pen pals. You might think it would take just a few moments, but it turned into a multi-hour project from initial explanation to the letter being dropped in the mail. You might wonder if my kids have iPhones or Facebook accounts to chat instantly. The answer is no; while they’ve video-called a few times, they’re currently living the phone-free life. So, it’s not that they were dismissing the snail mail idea—rather, they just didn’t seem to find it as exciting as I anticipated.
This led me to ponder the state of letter writing in our modern age. With technology dominating our communication, is there still a place for heartfelt letters? I appreciate the speed of modern communication, but I can’t help but reminisce about the joy of receiving a personal letter—not just another bill or an unsolicited catalog. Writing back has always held a special place in my heart. But in this tech-driven world, has the art of penmanship been overshadowed? If we can’t quickly “like” a post, will a letter from a friend get lost in our busy lives?
At ages 7 and 10, my daughters certainly aren’t overwhelmed with responsibilities. Yet, I’m unsure whether the pen pal concept will resonate with them or if it will fade away. Regardless, I’m glad to have introduced them to the joy of letter writing, even if they only send and receive one letter. I hope they experience that little thrill of finding a letter in the mailbox addressed to them from a friend.
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In summary, while my daughters may not fully appreciate the charm of pen pals just yet, I hope that through this experience, they’ll find joy in the written word and the anticipation of receiving letters.