By Lisa Graystone

As I type this piece I am reminded just how much I have replaced putting pen to paper with striking keys on the keyboard of my laptop and my mobile device. Text messages have replaced greeting cards and emails have replaced letters. As a culture we have, for the most part done away with the thank you note whose substitute is not a Facebook Private Message or wall post.  I am as guilty as everyone else as technology has brought convenience and speed. In a fast paced world it is easier and much more time efficient  to draft a quick email than it is to sit down, put pen to paper, address an envelope and take it to the post office. Letter writing however is a very important piece of our culture that needs to be resuscitated and Savvy Aunties are just the people to pass along the importance of this dying form of communication to the next generation.

April is National Card and Letter Writing Month which is a fabulous opportunity to talk to your nieces and nephews about the importance of the written word and tangible greeting card.  It is also a great time to open a new line of communication by starting this type of correspondence with them.

Throughout time letter writing has been an important piece of our historical puzzle. They have served historians and are hard copy windows into the past. Without this correspondence much of what we know of our history would have remained a mystery and became an educated guess rather than fact. According to handwrittenletters.com and the testimony of ancient historian Hellanicus, the first recorded hand written letter (epistle) was by Persian Queen Atossa daughter of Syrus, mother of Xerxes around 500 BC. Letters have been the primary source of information for many historians. There is also something much more personal about a handwritten letter as opposed to the electronic alternative.

When was the last time you received a handwritten letter, note or card? I get very few letters but when I am fortunate enough to get a greeting or thank you card in the mail it is always a high point in my day. I treasure each one and file it away to review another time.

    •    It is a very personal gesture that takes time and effort.
    •    It is a permanent copy of the correspondence.

How can you as a Savvy Auntie inspire your nieces and nephews to take up the pen? Become their pen pal. Instead of using social media, text or email have them write to you about their day or week. Maybe add some imaginative play and a historical lesson too. Ask them to imagine that they live in a time of no cell phones, emails, cameras or even typewriters. How would they tell you or show you about their life or any news? Inspire them by writing to them first. No matter what your age it is always exciting to receive something in the mail whether it is a greeting card, note or long handwritten letter. I write to my almost 92 year old grandmother frequently. I send her images, cards, letters and small gifts through the mail on a regular basis.  She does not have any electronics and this is her preferred mode of communication and it also gives her something to look forward to. She writes letters to her best friend Flo, sometimes twice a week, every week since she was a teenager.  

Although not much different than a letter the hard copy greeting card has been superseded by the electronic card or ecard. It is quicker and cheaper to send it electronically and some may argue more eco-friendly as there is no paper resource waste. Look for cards printed on recycled paper; cards that are made from 100% recycled materials are becoming more readily available. Talk to your nieces and nephews about the people in their life they appreciate, someone who has recently given them a gift or attended their last birthday party. How did they thank them? I feel that if you are grateful for something or someone you should express it and a card or note of thanks is now a unique way. I am reminded of the famous quote; There is no such thing as gratitude unexpressed. If it is unexpressed, it is plain, old-fashioned ingratitude. ~Robert Brault.  Sit with your nieces and nephews and choose a person that they can express their gratitude to. There is no need to purchase a card or stationery for your note. You can spend some quality time crafting a custom card that includes words and images.

What you need:
Paper/Coloring tools (if you are going to craft a custom card)
Card (Many dollar stores have a wide variety for $1 or 2 for $1)
Stamp (Current US cost .49 cents)
Envelope (craft one out of paper or found with purchased card. Buying a box of business envelopes from a dollar store is $1 or any office or stationary store will have them)
Gratitude
A little time

Following a gift, attendance at an event or some significant act of helpfulness or kindness warrants a thank you note or card. I send them all the time and encourage my children, nieces and nephew to do the same.

I am very environmentally conscious and am not advocating changing your mode of communication in a permanent way due to the use of paper and I am also a realist. I understand the age we live in is dominated by technology, however there are times that letter writing, card and note sending are appropriate and appreciated by the receiver. The importance and significance of letters has never been lost on me and I hope to inspire my nieces and nephew to continue the tradition. How will you inspire yours?

Lisa Graystone is a Writer and Fashion Entrepreneur, Owner/Stylist of Evolution Vintage and Evolution Rewind.

Photo: Lennart Tange via Flickr cc
Published: April 15, 2014