The other day I was remembering when Suzzane would go and visit my dad and writing letters to each other. Can you believe I don’t think Charlie has ever had the opportunity to write a handwritten letter even though we were #Homeschooling and Charlie having a pen pal would have bee nice it never worked out.

This morning I was sitting at my desk and going through my playlist when I came upon the song Camp Granada and it took me back to my camp days. I remember writing letters home from camp and thinking about the letter I had written to my parents.

For me writing the letters was one of my favorite parts of going to camp was getting to sit down and write a letter home because there was something exciting about finding a piece of paper, picking up a pen, and deciding what I was going to tell Mom and Dad about my adventures.

Although, if we’re being completely honest, I’m pretty sure at least one of those letters probably said: “Come get me!” Laughing out loud! Did you go to camp? Do you remember sending letters home?

I had no idea back then that one of those little letters would still be around decades later. When I was cleaning out my dad’s home, I found one of the letters I had written from camp. Can you imagine? There it was—a little piece of my childhood sitting there all those years later.

I don’t remember everything I wrote in that letter. I don’t even remember what I thought was important enough to tell my parents at the time. But I remember finding it. And that’s what handwritten letters can do. They can survive us.

They can sit in a box for years and years and then suddenly bring back a memory you didn’t even realize you still had. Plus, they show you the people who received the letter loved it enough to keep it.

Then I started thinking about high school. Do you remember passing notes in class? We didn’t have cell phones tucked underneath our desks. We had notebook paper and pens of all colors.

We would write something, fold that paper up as small as we could, and somehow get it across the classroom without the teacher catching us. And oh, what it would have meant to me to have some pretty stationery back then!

Instead, we were writing on whatever notebook paper we had. And here’s a little secret. Don’t tell anyone. I still have some of those notes. And some of them came from David. Yes, that David.

Way back before the dinosaurs roamed the face of the earth, I actually dated David. Laughing out loud! Who would have thought those silly little notes passed between two teenagers would still be around all these years later? That’s the thing about handwritten words. You never know which ones you’re going to treasure.

That’s why when I discovered that September 1 is World Letter Writing Day, I had to stop and think about how much we’ve changed. World Letter Writing Day is celebrated each year on September 1 and encourages people to slow down and rediscover handwritten correspondence.

The #Holiday was established in 2014 by Australian photographer and author Richard Simpkin, who was inspired by the handwritten letters connected with his Australian Legends project.

But for me, this isn’t really about a holiday. It’s about remembering. It’s about those letters we wrote before texting, email and social media made communication instant. It’s about sitting down and actually thinking about what you want to say. And maybe it’s about bringing some of that back.

Think about all the people who might love to receive a handwritten letter. Maybe it’s your grandmother. Maybe it’s your grandson. Maybe it’s an old friend you’ve lost touch with. Maybe it’s a teacher who made a difference in your child’s life.

Maybe it’s someone you had a little tiff with and you’ve been meaning to apologize. Maybe there’s somebody you’ve been wanting to tell, “I appreciate you.” Or maybe it’s someone you’ve never even met.

I’ve been thinking about the older people living in nursing homes who may go days without anyone coming to visit them. What if we wrote them a letter? It doesn’t have to be a long letter. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

You could simply write: “I thought about you today. I hope you are having a good day.” Imagine receiving that when you aren’t expecting any mail. Sometimes a few handwritten words can mean an awful lot.

I can see this being such a fun family activity. Put some cookies on the table. Pour everyone something to drink. Bring out the paper, envelopes, pens, markers and stickers. Then sit down together and write.

Mom can write to Grandma. Dad can write to an old friend. The children can write to their grandparents. Someone can write a thank-you note to a teacher. Someone can draw a picture. Someone can write a letter to a person they haven’t talked to in years. And maybe someone will write an apology. You don’t have to make it complicated. You just have to make the time.

And here’s our #TeachingMoment for World Letter Writing Day. Our children are growing up surrounded by phones and electronics. They can send a message in seconds. They can make a video call. They can communicate with someone on the other side of the world without ever picking up a pen. And that’s wonderful.

But we shouldn’t let our children forget how important handwriting can be. World Letter Writing Day is a perfect opportunity to teach children how to write a letter, how to organize their thoughts, how to address an envelope, where to put the stamp, and how to actually put their own words on paper.

It’s a little language arts lesson without turning the day into school. More importantly, it’s a lesson about communication. Our children don’t have to give up technology. But they should know that technology isn’t the only way to connect with another person. A handwritten letter takes time. And sometimes giving someone your time is one of the most meaningful gifts you can give.

You don’t need beautiful stationery to write a letter. Notebook paper works. Printer paper works. A piece of construction paper decorated by a child works. But if you’ve never taken the time to write a letter, maybe having some pretty stationery would make it a little more fun.

I found these two stationery ideas that would make a great starting place: Great Papers! Flower Meadows Letterhead is an 8½-by-11-inch floral letterhead with 80 sheets and is printer friendly. and 52-Piece A4 Floral Stationery Set is another pretty option for someone who wants a ready-to-use stationery set.

And don’t forget the pen because there is something about finding a pen you really enjoy writing with that makes you want to sit down and use it. A fun part of letter writing is you can use any color ink your heart desires.

And while I was thinking about all of this, my mind immediately went to Christmas. For someone who has never taken the time to write a letter, a little letter-writing kit would make a wonderful and unique gift.

You could put together pretty stationery, a unique pen, envelopes, stickers, colored pencils or markers and a few stamps. For a child, it could become a pen-pal kit. For someone who loves journaling, it could become an invitation to try something different.

For a grandparent, it could encourage them to write to the grandchildren. For someone who has never written a letter before, it could give them a reason to try. But remember: Don’t just buy the supplies and put them in a drawer. Use them.

While researching World Letter Writing Day, I discovered something else I didn’t know. Muhammad Ali is on a 2026 U.S. postage stamp. And so is Mister Rogers. Well, now I think I might have to start collecting stamps!

USPS issued Muhammad Ali Forever stamps in 2026, honoring the legendary boxer, activist and humanitarian. And the Mister Rogers stamp is back in 2026 as well. Now tell me those wouldn’t make unique little stocking stuffers!

I didn’t even know they were on stamps, and now I want to go pick up a couple. And that’s another thing we can teach our children. Sometimes the stamp on the envelope can be interesting, too.

Who is on it? Why were they chosen? What does the picture represent? Could we save it? Could we start a little stamp collection? Suddenly, mailing a letter has turned into a tiny history lesson and maybe even a new hobby.

As I was writing this post and I keep thinking about that letter I found in my dad’s home. A little girl wrote that letter at camp. I probably wasn’t thinking about history. I wasn’t thinking about keeping a family treasure. I was probably thinking about what I wanted to tell my parents.

And yet, decades later, that letter was still there. The same thing happened with those silly high-school notes. I never imagined I’d still have them. And I certainly never imagined some of them would have been written by David. But life has a funny way of turning ordinary little things into memories.?

Maybe today is the day. Find someone you love. Find someone you haven’t talked to in a while. Write to a grandparent. Write to a friend. Write to a teacher. Write to someone in a nursing home. Write a thank-you. Write an apology. Write a few words of encouragement. Or simply write: “I thought of you today.”

You don’t need a notebook. You don’t need a journal. You don’t need perfect handwriting. You need a piece of paper, a pen, an envelope and a little bit of your time. And yes, I know the price of a postage stamp may feel like you’re buying a small piece of a new home these days.

But somebody has to keep the post office in business! So let’s write a letter. And while we’re at it, let’s teach our children how to write one, too. Because a text message may make somebody smile today.

But a handwritten letter might still be sitting in a box fifty years from now. And you never know when someone might open that box and smile all over again. Happy World Letter Writing Day.

Now go find some pretty stationery, choose a pen, pick out a fun stamp and write somebody a letter. You might just create a memory that lasts a lifetime and you might be the only person they hear from all week.

Grateful, Thankful, Blessed.

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates