Right after this assignment was given, I knew I wanted to write a letter to my mom and dad back home. They love hearing from me, but will probably be taken back by the fact that I contacted them via letter. The act of writing on paper what I wanted to tell them was a new experience for me, as I usually just call them on the phone or respond to my mom’s texts. I found it difficult to begin the letter, as the only hand-written letters I’ve recently written were thank you notes for my high school graduation. I’m really curious as to what my parents have to say about receiving this letter when I go home for Labor Day weekend. I think they will appreciate the gesture, as hand written letters are such an uncommon form of communication nowadays.

Writing this letter was such a positive experience because I put much more thought into what I was saying. The act of giving my parents something physical that they can hold onto for years was also rewarding. Conversations via texting or phone call aren’t necessarily permanent and can’t be held onto like a letter can. This assignment also helped me reflect on how much our modern-day forms of communication differ from those of the past. Letter writing used to be the only form of communication before the invention of telephones, texting, and the internet. Writing a letter does require more work and thought, but its impact exceeds those of phone calls or text messages.