Do you ever hand write letters or know anyone who does?

[Andsthatscat]

Early last year I entered into a new relationship, I met him through a friend and as we are both a bit older (though I wouldn’t say old) we are taking it slow. He is 63, he has one daughter who is 25.
He is not technology averse or bad with technology by any means, he books flights and holidays, tables for restaurants, online banking, will order items online if he can’t source them in person. However he does not text, really at all. He might send a text to a friend if they have plans and he wants to confirm them or if he needs to communicate with a tradesmen doing work or similar, but he seldom texts me or his family. He is happy to call and does if necessary but most of our talking is saved for when we meet up.
In addition to this he still handwrites letters, mostly to his daughter who he writes to once a month but also his brother who doesn’t live locally.
His parents who are in their late 80s also still handwrite letters to his daughter and she replies also with handwritten letters. She lives abroad but does seem to send her replies monthly too.

I feel this is slightly peculiar, he’d be perfectly capable of texting or even emailing if he wanted a longer format but still he and much of his family still seem to enjoy writing letters. He said his reason is that he feels more thought and emotion goes into a letter when you have to take the time to write it by hand and post it.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with this and actually think it’s endearing but I do think it is a tad peculiar and certainly not common.

So AIBU to wonder if anyone here still handwrites letters or knows anyone who does? If you do, why?

I don’t write letters and haven’t done for years.

My mil, who is tech savvy re WhatsApp, texting and emails, used to write letters to my sons when they were at uni. They have kept them all.

A few times a year, two of my close friends will send me cards ‘just because’, with a nice message written inside. It’s lovely to receive them. The last one I got said on the front ‘Let’s go somewhere and judge people’. Perfect.

I wrote letters still. I use a fountain pen and have personalised stationery. I love it; writing a letter requires an hour of calm reflection whereas a text takes seconds.

I have boxes of letters I've saved from school/university years when we all wrote letters to one another. Sometimes we'd see each other all day at school, go home and write a long letter, and then hand it to your mate before class, mad really 😂 Loads of letters and cards from old boyfriends too, fun (and a bit cringey) to look back on!

My stepdaughter does from time to time. She is early thirties and is a busy professional. Obviously she spends a lot of time useing a keyboard, to the point of being tired of it, so writing a letter to myself or a friend is a nice change for her.

@church

Also, writing a letter is an art. It's not dashing off a few lines where you can delete or cut and paste. You have to plan it. I often plan my letter whilst I walk the dog or do the washing up. It's a lovely way to stay in touch.

I agree with that. It really is an art and so much more personal than a quickly cobbled together text or email, and yes, you have to think and plan which is also an art.

I was only thinking very recently that it is a shame no one really writes letters anymore. I used to write many when I was younger and still wrote to my very elderly gran until she died last year. I also always write with a fountain pen.

I wrote a letter to the DVLA last week, as I needed to return my V5 document with a covering letter. It was quicker to hand write it and post it all back, than open up my laptop, write a letter, realise the printer isn't connected, connect the printer realise I have no ink in the cartridges, go to the shop and buy more, insert the new cartridges, scream at the printer when it has a hissy fit, waste several pages while it gets its act in gear and finally print my letter off and put a signature to it!

@MrsMoastyToasty 🤣 so true

This is such a lovely thread. I don't know the last time I received a handwritten letter ☹️ I will still have all my old cards and letters in a box somewhere because I never bin things like that. I think your friend sounds lovely op, like a proper old school gentleman.

I and my friends still write as does my husband, but we're over 60. My daughter (30s) still does on occasion. I also email and text, which sometimes - with the inclusion of photos - is better, but I still love to receive a well-written letter. Unfortunately the cost of postage is getting prohibitive while society just absorbs the cost of social media, which is what email, insta and fb are after all.

I still write letters as my thoughts flow so much more freely when I write .I find typing so jarring especially when writing a letter that needs to be meaningful .I also have very good hand writing and enjoy calligraphy .I have a selection of pens and beautiful writing paper .Last year i wrote a letter of thanks to all the people who attended my fathers funeral and the resonance from that was just wonderful .
While clearing other my parents home last year I found all the letters that i had written to my mum as a young woman .It was amazing to read them all and remember that person I once was .

I write to two dear friends. One is 82 and the wife of my dad's best friend (both dad and his friend died long ago). She remembers things about my family that few, if any, others, do. That is very special to me.
The other is a 91 year old woman who lived in the same village as us when my children were growing up.
Both of these connections are precious to me and warm my heart.

My DDs live abroad, so I write letters to them from time to time, especially for birthdays/ Christmas. I send postcards when I’m on holiday. I also always write something in Christmas cards, although I’m beginning to wonder why I bother, when an early in December-posted card didn’t arrive until well into January!!

I write 2 letters at Christmas every year to a couple of friends. We don’t have any other contact just a Xmas card and a letter once a year.

I wrote letters at Christmas, and probably will to one elderly family friend this year.

I don't write letters often..when I do write to someone I actually enjoy it - providing I'm not in a rush. It's much better to receive a hand -written note than an email. More direct and personal. Emails are quick but they lose a lot

I have all the letters my parents sent me over the years - some really funny. When they died I found the letters I sent them - lovely to reread. When I had a significant birthday my best friend copied all the letters I sent her when we were in our 20s (she lived in another country). It was like reading a diary.

These days I only write letter when sending condolences.

Why not, it's still such a pleasure to receive a hand written letter. When our son died ten years ago we received so many written letters, still have them today and re-read and cry on his anniversary.

Funnily enough, just been looking through old paperwork and found a love letter from my first boyfriend! I don't think today's youngsters will get the same kind of emotion I felt reading that letter if they randomly find a text or email in a few decades time (which is unlikely as they'd be long lost or deleted upon change of device or loss of old data).

I write to pen friends around the planet, and have done so for over 50 years. It's enabled me to have some fab adventures by meeting and even living with some of them for a while., and also to reciprocate their hospitality .
Plus, finding a lovely fat, arty, colourful envelope on the mat, full of chat and news, causing me to sit and read it at my leisure is an absolute tonic and puts my world to rights. Peculiar? Maybe only if you don't!!

I recently decided to buy some writing paper and discovered a business called Making Meadows. I bought some beautiful wildlife designs. Highly recommend! And no, I have no affiliation, I'm just a satisfied customer. 😁

Also, if we don't use it we'll lose it. Denmark has recently stopped using letter post which is such a shame. We should ask who might be next?

I don't write letters but my mum does, she's in her fifties, so fully versed in all things technological but also of an age where you did write letters etc at university.

She has one friend with whom she particularly corresponds by letter - sending one every couple of weeks I think, and others she just occasionally writes to.

I love writing letters. I do sometimes with a couple of friends.
I used to have about 50 penpals when I was a teen. We had these little books where we put our details and stuff we liked and you pass them on and add your details, I guess that was the old version of social media?! ❤️

My grandmother used to be a prolific letter-writer to friends who lived all over the world, as she kept in touch with a lot of the people that she went to school with! Over the years, it's whittled down a lot as many of them have since died. She now sends handwritten letters and picture postcards to me 😊

We converse fully in letters since I've moved away, because she is very deaf, is too stubborn to get her hearing aids fixed, and I am too polite (and find it exhausting!) to have to shout at her in the hope that she can hear me! Also, trying to work in phone calls around her hectic social life and TV viewing is very trying...

"He said his reason is that he feels more thought and emotion goes into a letter when you have to take the time to write it by hand and post it."

And he's right. A hell of a lot more thought, time and effort goes into a letter. I don't see how anyone could argue otherwise without being totally disingenuous. Writing a letter makes use of your language skills, imagination and intellect far more than a dashed off text or email. The actual process can be both therapeutic and thought provoking and letters can last a lifetime, holding wonderful memories of people you've lost or loved. Basically it's a no brainer.

@PainterInPeril I looked up MakingMeadows. Lovely stuff.
I think I might spend all my Christmas present money there.

It's interesting to hear how many people still use a fountain pen. I've had mine decades and choosing new ink is one of my guilty pleasures. I collect them like some people collect shoes.