A handwritten letter carries something that a text message cannot. Choosing paper, finding a pen, and shaping each sentence by hand forces the writer to slow down and think about what really needs to be said. The recipient, in turn, holds an object that was touched and folded by someone who cared enough to make the effort. Letters can be kept in a drawer and reread years later, when the handwriting alone brings back the sender's voice. Before the telephone, correspondence was the main way families stayed in touch across distance, and many friendships and courtships unfolded entirely on paper.
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