Perhaps you heard the story – it showed up on major news a bit ago. Gwen, a 70-year-old woman, finally lived out her childhood dream – the opportunity to serve as a Yankees bat “girl.” In 1961, she had written a letter requesting the privilege. At that time, sixty years ago, the response she received suggested she would “feel out of place in a dugout.” The denial letter from the Yankees became a family heirloom – that is, until her daughter decided to re-contact the Yankees. That resulted in the Yankees extending the invitation that made Gwen’s long ago request a reality. In an interview about the experience, Gwen concluded with the words – “It was good I wrote that letter.”
I know it seems unlikely today, but there still might be a time in our children’s future when they say, “it was good I wrote that letter.” That is, if we have actually encouraged them to write letters. It’s so easy to talk ourselves out of the discipline these days.
– Everyone just sends emails or texts; nobody sends letters.
– Who even wants to take the time to read a letter anyway?
But hearing that story and the woman’s summary caused me to ask the obvious question – Is it still good for our kids to write letters? Here are a few reasons to encourage our children to go ahead and get some practice in writing letters.
The personal touch is still the best way to communicate to others their value to you. This is especially true when the other person has taken their time, energy, and/or money to bless you in some way. My son-in-law has a special gift for writing thank you notes making them personal and sincere. It’s a gift he’s practiced and perfected over many years. Ask any grandma and she will tell you those personal notes of gratitude from their grandchildren are precious.
Letter writing is a good way to document and record important events. Whether it’s an aunt’s marriage, the birth of a new cousin, the recognition of a friend’s accomplishment, a home in a new neighborhood, or just some random act of kindness, written communication brings a solemnity and significance to the event as well as giving the sender the opportunity to express real emotions.
Writing letters forces our children to consider carefully what they are going to say as well as how they are going to say it. And, as much as they may not want to do so, it usually gives them the opportunity to make corrections and make a more perfect copy of their letter. All of these are important for developing effective communication skills.
It’s not surprising that effective letter-writing dovetails with effective writing. In general, we follow these steps: Identify your audience, start with the main message, organize well, make it personal, and choose the right time.
Believe it or not, letter-writing is still an effective way to make a request. It may be more likely to capture the attention of the recipient (who is tired of ever-present email) and get a written response. After all, it was the existence of that decades-old written response that convinced the present-day Yankees it was time to correct the situation. Yes, Gwen, it was good that you wrote that letter.
~ Janice
