I like writing letters, to people and to things and just in general. They help me organize my thoughts in a slightly logical progression, and when I have lots of thoughts I can get them all down somewhere without them getting disorganized or getting lost in the air, which happens when talking, or when communicating with the other person at all.

Letter-writing, I believe, lends itself to being almost a lost art form. With constant communication, you can have conversations nonstop, all the time--real conversations, which letters don't allow for--and with little delay.

But there is still an electric thrill in receiving a letter. In taking the time to open it up and unfold the paper and learn who has taken their time, on the other end, to write you something personally.

I still mail out my birthday invitations even though I could just send everyone a quick text. I still find it much more enjoyable to send out something real, something solid that you can feel and touch and read and reread without a scroll bar. Granted, I appreciate the consistency and conversationality of text messaging, but writing letters is a beautiful lovely thing. Everything can be clear in letters.

Everyone should practice writing letters every so often, I think. It is a lovely practice.