When was the last time you hand-wrote a letter to someone? Today's culture finds it much easier to type, text and tweet. All of these alternative forms of communication remove the power of emotion from the transmission. Science has shown that when you put your thoughts in your own handwriting, it engages a significant part of the brain which is not engaged by typing or texting.
Throughout history, words were written by hand. The Apostle Paul wrote letters to the new Believers throughout Asia Minor with whom he had built relationships. It is said that the Gospel of John is God's Love letter to His children. The famous poet Elizabeth Barrett received personal letters from Robert Browning which, over time, became sonnets of love. Eventually, they entered into a literary and marital partnership.
The FBI created a profiling tool called "handwriting analysis." This tool cannot be applied to non-written forms of communication because handwriting has an individual distinction just as voice has frequency recognition. Handwriting is a vibration that touches the heart and soul of the one receiving your letter.
I encourage you to take a moment to pen a few lines to someone you love ... a friend, lover, or perhaps an acquaintance who needs encouragement. The power of a written letter far surpasses the cryptic tone of a text or tweet. And as Alexandra Stoddard wrote in her book, The Gift of a Letter, expect a response in return: "Frankly, my pen touches down on paper much faster when I feel a response is in the wind." Receiving a handwritten personal letter engenders a consideration to respond in kind.
