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Introducing My Daughters to the Concept of Pen Pals in a Digital World
Last week, I took a nostalgic trip down memory lane and introduced my daughters to the charming idea of having pen pals. With a bubbly tone, I explained, “You know, when I was your age, I had a pen pal! We exchanged letters, and even though we never met in person, we became good friends. We shared our favorite things, asked each other questions, and sometimes even sent stickers! Imagine the joy of finding a letter in the mailbox just for you!” My 7-year-old stared blankly at me, and I began to wonder if I had oversold the concept.
But then, a smile broke across my older daughter’s face. I had been thinking about her cousin, Mia, who lives in New Jersey and is just a few days younger than her. I hoped that once my older daughter was on board, my younger one would warm up to the idea too. But, of course, my girls are complete opposites; what one finds intriguing, the other often dismisses. In the end, my oldest, Jenna, decided to write a letter to a friend who had moved away last year. As for Mia, I’m still working on that connection. At least we managed to get one letter written and sent off, so that’s a little victory!
I was honestly surprised at how much effort it took to get my daughters excited about the idea of pen pals. You might think that a quick description would be enough to spark their interest, but the entire process from initial explanation to sending the letter took several hours. You may be wondering if my kids have access to iPhones or social media for instant communication. While they have Skyped a few times from my laptop, the answer is no—they are currently living a phone-free life. So, it wasn’t that they were dismissing traditional mail; they just didn’t seem as captivated as I had hoped.
This led me to reflect on the state of letter writing in our fast-paced, tech-driven world. While I truly appreciate the convenience of instant communication, I can’t help but long for the delight of receiving a handwritten letter that isn’t a bill or a random advertisement. The joy of writing back and forth has always held a special place in my heart. But is there still a place for this art form today? In a world where we can easily “like” a post, would a handwritten letter get lost in the shuffle?
Even though my daughters, at ages 7 and 10, don’t have overly busy lives, I still wonder how much value they’ll find in the pen pal concept. Regardless, I’m grateful to have introduced them to the joy of letter writing. Even if they only exchange one letter, I hope they experience that thrill of opening the mailbox and finding a personal note from a friend.
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Summary
In an effort to introduce my daughters to the nostalgic idea of pen pals, I found that even without modern technology, capturing their interest in letter writing proved to be a challenge. Despite their initial hesitation, I hope they come to appreciate the joy of connecting through handwritten letters.