Signed, Sealed & Delivered
Signed, Sealed, & Delivered
Discovering the joy of real mail!
By Heidi Chauncey Vorwerk Jun 1, 2025
Grandmother Jeanette. Photo credit: Janet Lee Chauncey
Pen Pals
When I was a girl my grandmother insisted that I become her pen pal. Oh, I had pen pals before, two brief yet memorable exchanges: one with a boy I met on a summer vacation, another with a girl from Denmark through an after school program. In both cases what began with enthusiasm fizzled out as our letters became less personal, more tedious, and few and far between. Corresponding with my Grandmother, on the other hand, would be a never ending proposition! What could I possibly communicate in a weekly letter that was at all newsy given that I saw her in person on a regular basis? I thought the whole idea a tedious chore, but I was not one to rebuff my Grandmother, so our pen pal journey began.
How wrong I was! This pen pal relationship was a life lesson in communication that I never would have learned elsewhere.
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From Pen To Pixels |
Benefits of Pen & Paper |
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In this fast-paced digital world we are accustomed to using fast-paced forms of communication: emails, texts, and e-cards. But, not long ago, letters written by hand were a cherished form of communication. Choosing the notepaper, composing the message, even selecting the stamp for the envelope were all thoughtful expressions that made correspondence more personal and meaningful. |
Recent studies have shown that the act of writing by hand can stimulate the brain and improve cognitive function. Further studies reveal that receiving a handwritten note triggers a deeper emotional response compared to receiving an email or text. In other words, a handwritten letter is beneficial to the writer and the recipient! It is an art form well worth a try if you are not already a practitioner. |
“There is something special about holding a handwritten letter - it carries the essence of the writer.” -Jane Austen
The Perfect Day -Janet Lee Chauncey
Crafting A Letter
My first letters to my Grandmother were juvenile, stilted, superficial commentary on routine happenings in my pre-teen life or sometimes cursory sentences to say, “nothing to report this week”. My Grandmother’s letters, on the other hand, were flowery, thoughtful and entertaining. Far beyond mere words, every note she penned was a multi-sensory experience, a deliberate extension of herself: her elegant handwriting, the lovely stationery, the specific postage stamp, the chosen color of the ink, and even the faint, familiar whisper of her signature scent. Each new letter was a delightful surprise to unseal. While I had fun emulating her careful selection of pen, paper, and ink - the real struggle for me , and the area I desperately needed to improve, was the actual composition of the words and the challenge of coming up with engaging subject matter. I had a lot to learn.
My Grandmother was a firm and patient and passionate teacher of the fine art of correspondence writing. Through letter after letter she demonstrated how flowery and descriptive language and italics in the right places could transform ordinary events and topics into something truly compelling. I soon discerned a template-like pattern to her letters, and I began to incorporate a similar structure to my own.
Grandmother always began her letters with a cheery greeting, thanking me for my previous missive and praising my efforts to relate the mundane events of middle-school life. The heart of her letters were vibrant, thoughtful tapestries woven from the week’s events or some interesting story from her past, consistently entertaining with rich, descriptive prose. She was expressive, her letters captured not just events but her emotions, too, providing a deeper understanding of her true self and validating that it was ok to put feelings down on paper. She cleverly used a concluding question in her letters designed to elicit my opinion on various subjects, ensuring the ongoing exchange of letters.
Over time my letter writing improved and I came to love the relationship we forged through our correspondence as well as the very act of writing: the quiet moments at my desk, collecting my thoughts and putting them to paper. My Grandmother’s letters taught me to prioritize the recipient, to be mentally and emotionally engaged with the person you are writing to. More than just words, her missives are cherished pieces of her, tangible connections that carry the very warmth of her hand.
Enduring Legacy
Our correspondence spanned decades, and upon becoming a great grandmother, Jeanette extended her letter writing to each of her great-grandchildren. Even in her final years, amidst arthritis and health challenges, she continued to pen notes to us, even if we were in the same room! Though she passed away in 2012, Gretchen and I still find her letters unexpectedly - hidden in a book or the back of a drawer - her correspondence still delivered to us through time.
To this day I am a very enthusiastic writer of notes. It gives me great pleasure to send and receive ‘real mail’ - those handwritten letters delivered right to a mailbox! I whole-heartedly agree with Jane Austen: “There is something special about holding a handwritten letter - it carries the essence of the writer,” and that is precisely what makes the message more meaningful.
Grab a pen and start writing! A handwritten note from you could brighten someone’s day, possibly even sparking a lifelong friendship with a new pen pal.