Readers of my last post will be aware that I was an exchange student in Denmark. During that time I made friendships that have lasted half my life. In April 2000 I returned to Denmark and one of my friends gave me a present of the letters that I had written to her since returning to Australia. The letters were a chronicle of my life over that time. I wrote about college, my family, my first job and in one I even outline my intentions to propose to my wife. The gift that my friend gave me was one of my past.
Yesterday I took out of storage the 300+ letters that I had received whilst on exchange in Denmark. I read and then bundled them by writer. Today I gave the first bundle back to my brother. It bought back memories to him just as my letters had to me. I plan to distribute the other bundles as soon as I can.
There is a strange paradox here. After a time the letters are more valuable to the writer than the receiver.
Sadly most of my correspondence today is by email. I don’t take the time to craft a letter like I used to nor do those who write to me. Email is often quick and dirty (no, not that kind of dirty!). I also take much less care about keeping the emails that I receive. Many, especially if short, are read then deleted. Paper letters hang around much longer than that. Something about throwing them out suggests throwing out the love with which they were written. Email is less valuable. And that’s a false perception and I will work hard to address.