Yesterday was World Letter Writing Day! There is quite an overlap between people who journal and people who still enjoy a bit of snail mail. At the end of the day, stationary is stationary. But, what if I told you that you should be writing letters *in* your journal?
There is so much potential for journaling letters. For one, its another tool in your belt if the usual conflict resolution prompts aren’t working. Who doesn’t feel better after a good venting session? And the ideas don’t stop there. You could write a gratitude letter, a letter to a passed loved one, a letter to your future self.
This week, we’ll get into all the details of what makes a solid letter writing journal prompt.
History of World Letter Writing Day
Before exploring letter writing as a journaling technique, we need to understand why World Letter Writing Day is a thing. Tl;dr? People love getting letters.
This little holiday was invented by an Australian man named Richard Simpkin. According to his blog, the whole idea started in 1999 when he wanted to make a book about Australian legends. Instead of phone interviews, he opted for pen and paper (the internet was barely a thing anyway). Once he started getting return letters, he was hooked. Richard has promoted letter writing ever since.
He wasn’t alone. In 2007, Kathy Zadrozny and Donovan Beeson started the Letter Writers Alliance. It was a hub that connected pen pals all across the world with the simple mission of keeping letter writing alive. It was a great little community (I was a card carrying member for 5 years). People cared about writing letters! Unfortunately, the project ended when the pandemic hit, but there are still several places that connect global pen pals.
My Pen Pal Story
A little self-disclosure, I am an avid letter writer. What started with a slight twee phase in high school turned into an obsession with all things old. That’s when my grandma told me something that really stuck with me:
If you want to get a letter in the mail, you have to send out two.[AS1]
Her logic was that people don’t always get back to your first letter, but few people let two letters go unanswered. I was already a double texter – writing a lot of letters just made sense.
During that time I likely wrote around a thousand letters. I am not kidding. Every day I’d send out a few notes to my friends with doodles, life updates, song recommendations, literally whatever was on my mind. I put a lot into them.
I’m not sure if the ratio was always 2:1, but I do know they meant a lot to my friends. At my wedding, my Maid and Matron of honor talked about saving every letter I ever wrote them. The binder was bursting. That kind of bond is why I joined the Letter Writers Alliance in 2015. I’ve had several international pen pals since from Indonesia, Germany, and more.
Benefits of Letter Writing
If you’re not convinced by the power of letter writing, let me break it down. Letter writing offers a unique kind of self-expression. Letters are more intentional than expressive writing journal entries, for example, whether you decide to send them of not.
Before “writing off” letter writing prompts as not really journaling (see what I did there?), consider these benefits. You’re gonna see a whole lot of overlap between letters and your journal. Besides, what else should you do for World Letter Writing Day?
Long Distance, But Real
If the pandemic taught us one thing, it’s that Zoom and social media are not the same as in-person connection. There is something about being able to have something real, not digital, to connect you with the people you love.
The power of World Letter Writing Day is that it connects people who can’t be physically together with something real and tangible. A text message is really just lights on a screen. A letter is something you know was held in someone’s hands and sent with care. You might not be in the same place, but you can be linked through your letters.
Who Doesn’t Love Nostalgia?
When my best friends showed me all the letters they kept throughout the years we laughed, we cried, and we scratched our heads. There is something so magical about remembering who you were in high school. Bonus, unlike my very private high school journals (which were since destroyed to protect inner peace), these letters were always meant to be shared.
There was nothing in those letters that was too raw or too sensitive to return to. That’s not to say they weren’t deep. The letters you write to your closest friends should be vulnerable and real! Still, there is a level of editorial safety. For those who like to keep their past journals in the past for their mental health, letters are a great way to keep the nostalgia alive.
Slowing Down
“Couldn’t this just be a text”? Yes, but don’t underestimate the joy of slow communication. There is such a rush to return text messages in under 24 hours. A LOT of people find this to be incredibly demanding. When texting back becomes a task to complete rather than something to indulge in, you lose the fun.
World Letter Writing Day reminds us that there is no rush when it comes to friendship. We can be more thoughtful in letters, more engaged. There is a gentleness to handwriting a whole page instead of speeding to send an “lol” or GIF.
Letter Writing and Your Journal
So, sure. World Letter Writing Day is an opportunity to flex another part of your writing brain and stay connected with the people you love in a healthy way. But how exactly does World Letter Writing Day relate to your actual journal?
You know you don’t actually have to send the letter you write, right?
Say What You Really Mean
A letter becomes a mental health journal prompt when you decide to keep it to yourself. You don’t have to share every letter you ever write. There’s different way to think about it. Maybe you first draft is a little too honest and intense. Maybe you are just itching to say something to someone but you know they’d never actually hear you.
Either way, writing a letter in your journal is a great way to practice saying how you really feel in a safe space. You never have to send it, but you can get the words off your chest. In fact, you could even turn the letter into an art project and release those tough feelings even more
Ideas for Letters to Never Send
You can do so much with letter writing prompts (aka letters you’ll never send). So, in honor of World Letter Writing Day, here are a few ideas for letters that you only have to share with your journal:
Write a letter to…
1. Someone you’re upset with but can’t seem to face directly (yet).
2. A person who you really respect and want to know better.
3. Your childhood self. What do they need to hear?
4. Whatever higher power you believe in (ex: God, The Universe, etc.)
5. The place where you feel safest. Express your gratitude!
6. An old friend you’re no longer in contact with. Do you miss them?
7. The mask you wear in public. How do you feel about this version of you?
8. Someone with too much control in your life. What would you say to them if there were no consequences?
9. Your pets!
10. The friend you wish you had right now.
11. Your ancestors from way, way back in history.
12. Apologize for something you are scared to own up to at the moment. Spend time expressing why you’re so scared to apologize in person.
13. Something on your daily gratitude list.
14. You 20 years from now. What do you hope for them?
15. Your future children and grandchildren.
16. Someone you’re currently “no contact” with, but still have a lot to say to.
17. A person who mildly inconvenienced you today.
18. The one that got away (Hint: this doesn’t have to mean a romantic partner).
19. Your favorite fictional character. Why do you feel so connected to them?
20. Your future life partner.
21. A celebrity you really admire.
22. Forgive your parents for how they raised you.
23. The angel and devil on your shoulders. What have each of them been trying to tell you?
24. Your truest self. What do you need to hear from them?
25. A part of nature you are very grateful for. Bonus points if you write it outside.
26. Yourself from the point of view of someone you are fighting with.
27. Archeologists several years from now. What should they know about you and your culture a century or two from today?
28. Your partner. What is going really well? What might you have to discuss soon?
29. You when you were at your absolute lowest. What do you wish someone had told you back then?
30. Your journal. Thank it for being your truest confidant.
