Dear Your Name Here

When was the last time you sent or received a handwritten card from someone you care about? Social media can be great for keeping in touch, but it can also create symptoms of social anxiety, all from the comfort of your own couch.

The price of postage has only gone up 5 cents. It’s hard to find anything so cheap these days. I think we all like to get mail that isn’t a bill or advertisement.

We can take steps to deepen our relationships with each other offline and feel less reliant on social media and screens:

-Update your phone’s address book and erase any old numbers you no longer need or that no longer work. Save information like birthdays, family names, addresses, and email addresses to everyone’s contact cards.

-Add surprises like a handwritten note, stickers, photos, and drawings in birthday and holiday cards.

-Consider writing a letter to someone who is serving in the military, incarcerated, or in the hospital. Check out veteran.com/military-pen-pals/, writeaprisoner.com, and penpalsforlife.com for more information. It is easy to create a virtual or in person PO box if you do not want to use your home address.

-A letter to your state’s Senator and Representative lets you share what you think about current events and gives you a chance to explain why you feel that way. Their job is to represent you, so help them do it! Use legislature.ohio.gov/members/district-maps to find your district’s contact information.

 There is a reason why autographed sports items, books, and art are so valuable. I know people who have gotten tattoos of their loved ones’ handwriting. Those tiny marks are precious and unique to the writer and the reader.

PS: You can practice your handwriting by copying this sentence over and over. It contains all 26 letters of the alphabet: The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.