Communication today: people share their opinions and accomplishments on Facebook, shoot a text or email to anyone, anywhere in the world in an instant, schedule a video chat with friends, family, or co-workers, post a photo on Instagram about their day, or even post a video on YouTube, Snapchat or Tik Tok. When was the last time you sat down and wrote someone a letter–or you opened your mailbox and found, not a piece of junk mail or a bill, but an actual letter from a friend or family member causing you to open it with excitement?! Are you old enough to remember the fun in grade school of having a pen pal? Today’s instant communication has transformed the way we interact and has lessened the impact of the messages we want to convey. In a world where millions share their daily lives and its most insignificant details and unsolicited opinions online, it’s refreshing to return to a manner of more personal expression—a hand-written personal letter!
So, why don’t we hand write notes and letters more often? Maybe we think we don’t have anything interesting to write about. During my research about the benefits of hand writing, I came across this quote: “Your thoughts don’t have to go viral to be valuable!” Or, a perceived lack of time, poor handwriting, or just plain laziness may be reasons we don’t write letters–but maybe, in reality, we’ve forgotten about the value and power of the handwritten word, not only for the recipients of our letters, but also for the writers!     See the Link Below to the May 2025 Parish Nurse News for more information!