10 Reasons to Write a Letter

1. It's personal — The recipient of your letter knows that not only did you think about him or her but that you took the time to sit down, put pen to paper and record your thoughts.

2. It's personalized — You can choose a card or stationery and envelope that matches your personality. If there's no stationery that matches you, you can make your own!

3. It's lasting — Oh sure, lots of people save e-mails, but who actually pulls them out of the archives and reads them again? Letters can be saved and cherished for generations.

4. It can be romantic — Spritz a little perfume on the paper, tuck in a wildflower from that bouquet he picked for last summer, end it with Xs and Ox....

5. It's cheap — A piece of paper, an envelope, a stamp and a pen, and you have something that the recipient will treasure forever.

6. It's controlled — There's no chance you'll accidentally send a handwritten letter to everyone in your address book, like you can mistakenly do with e-mail.

7. It lets you spread good news — The economy, the war, crime...the news can be so depressing these days. A letter from you gives your recipient some good news for a change. Tell him or her how your kids are doing in school, that you saw a bluebird in the front yard yesterday, even just that you thought of them today. It'll brighten their day!

8. It's tangible — A letter can be held, carried around, slipped under a pillow, re-read at the coffee shop. Oh, I know about Blackberries and other ways of reading e-mail in the coffee shop, but it's not the same. Trust me. It's not the same.

9. Technology won't make it obsolete — I can read the handwritten letters that my great-great-great-grandmother wrote to my great-great-grandfather more than 100 years ago. Will your great-great-great-grandchildren be able to read your e-mails in 100 years? I'll bet they'll still be able to read your hand-written letters, though!

10. It takes time — This means there are fewer chances for you to say something you don't mean. More time for you to say the right thing, to say it the way you really want to say it. A well-thought letter shows you took time for the recipient.

Now, what reasons do you have for writing a letter? Share them with us in the comments section!

By the way, I stayed on schedule and wrote my eighth letter last night.