Commentary By: Gavin Schweiger, Follow South Jersey Assistant Editor
Dear Reader,
I can’t be the only one who finds the holiday season stressful.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the atmosphere, the music, the togetherness that Christmas and other holidays bring. However, I always get anxious when I have to think about gifts.
The financial burden of the season and “finding the right gifts” are the most cited reasons for stress during the holiday season, according to the American Psychological Association, with missing family members and other pressures also part of the equation.
This makes sense, as a lot of questions spring to mind around the middle of November on: Who do I give gifts to? What do I get them? And how do I do it without spending all my money?
Enter: the humble handwritten letter.
While I’ll get material gifts for my close family (they did raise me, after all), the letter is a small but powerful gift for the other close people in my life. I think they deserve something too, but I don’t have the means to really pick out something nice and intentional for everyone.
A letter, on the other hand, is a very personal reminder that I care about them and am thankful for their friendship. And I specifically do it handwritten because it makes it just that much more personal and intentional, even if my handwriting is terrible.
The reasons it works for me is because it’s cheap, heartfelt and nostalgic.
For domestic letters, stamps are $0.78 a pop at the post office, and my local Walmart sells 500 sheets of copy paper for just under $6, and 50 envelopes for under $4. This makes the total per-letter cost to around $0.87. The price may vary, but it’s generally affordable.
With an economy leaving many of us nervous, spending less on gifts can be a real sigh of relief.
A letter written from the heart can also mean a lot, without being a total slog to work out.
I had tried doing a whole page for everyone before, but that’s a lot to write for a potential 15 to 20 letters, so I fold a piece of blank paper into a makeshift card. Then, I’ll just write inside.
If it doesn’t sound right or there are a lot of errors, I’ll throw the draft out, but I tend to just write from the heart, and it feels okay without having to be a masterpiece. It’s not the Declaration of Independence, after all.
The letter is personal to everyone and there’s no one right way to write it, but I love to call back to memories throughout the year and tell them how I truly feel.
Writing the letter also gives a warm, analog and nostalgic experience instead of cold corporate retail stores and websites.
I make the actual letter writing almost like a ritual to try and hold onto holiday spirit. For me, that means candles, coffee or tea, and some quiet.
Then, once I’m done writing all the letters, I send them out. Good old fashioned licked envelopes, stamps, and either a trip to the post office or throwing the flag up on my mailbox.
The next fun part is the wait. On the receiving end, it’s fun to get mail. It feels special, since it’s a unique gift no one else will ever get.
On the sending end, I’ve found that my friends tend to be grateful for the letters and write nice messages back. While I don’t need any sort of reciprocity, it’s always a nice surprise to hear a reply (even if it’s not in letter form itself).
So maybe you feel the same, that gifts and holiday craziness makes you stressed out and long for something a bit simpler, slower, and meaningful. For people like you and me, the humble but mighty letter, might be a way to show love and appreciation without the anxiety.
Sincerely, Gavin Schweiger
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