The Power Of A Letter

                                                           

“A letter always seemed to me like immortality because it is the mind alone without corporeal friend” – EMILY DICKINSON

If I could I would write this in the form of a super-long letter, like the old-fashioned way.  In the past few years that have brought me closer to technology and vice-versa, realization of how important it is to stay connected to the basics has dawned upon me like some divine light. It is probably, the maddening advancement of the world that has made me love the art of letter writing even more. Just like the baker who loves his bread regardless of where it is sowed and reaped, like the pianist who loves all eighty-eight keys of the piano, like the deep sea diver gulps every single piece of beauty unearthed beneath the ocean, (and for the sake of sounding cheesy), I love letters.

To be honest, I used to hate writing letters at the initial stage. Yes, hate! I couldn’t understand the purpose as to why my teachers made me write a letter to our parents every Sunday. What was the point of wasting so much paper and ink? Weren’t they teaching us to be eco-friendly? Hypocrites, I tell you!

But I was so wrong. So ignorant of the beauty of letter-writing and of the favour it does! I will take slight liberty of gloating that today I am more aware of the importance of writing a letter than most people are about the damage they are causing to the climate.

Now that I have come to understand it, my love for writing, comes from my love for letters. You cannot hide or shy away in a letter. It reveals the pure nakedness of your soul, for when you write a letter to a person, somehow, intentionally or not, you pour yourself into the ink.  Your inner thoughts, your very being flows from the pen that you write, spilling into beautiful calligraphy onto a piece of paper. It is perhaps because of this reason that the recipient can often read the letter in the sender’s voice.  (Correct me if I am wrong.) Writing a letter is doing a favour to the other person and also to yourself. You let the doors of your true being open wide for the other person to bask in your beauty and to come to terms with your demons.

I have written and also received hundreds of letters over the years that I cherish and keep re-reading. In each letter and each line I find that the other person hasn’t changed. They have just grown into the beautiful person they were meant to be. When the ‘Telegram’ died in India, it made me fearful of losing letters forever. But then I thought, as long as there were people who loved writing more than anything else, letters wouldn’t be lost. They would keep living in us in the form of some unsung melody instead.

This post is not to proclaim my love for letters. (which I have already done. Forgive and forget. Please.) But believe me you that was not my intention. I just wanted to invite you all for a letter writing project. I would like you all to write me a letter explaining the turning point of your life and how it has evolved you into the person that you are today. Now why would you do that for a stranger? Well because, A) I am not a stranger to some people here, so you can rest assured. B) Somebody told me that Life passes by too quickly, do what makes you happy. Hence,  the idea of a letter project.  I just want to bring forth the beauty of letters to those who haven’t understood it yet. For that I need your support and I am hoping that you all would lend me some.

Please drop me a message at contacturvashi3@gmail.com if you are willing to contribute and I shall mail you the address and other necessary details. While, you think and try to make up your mind, I thank you for being patient enough and reading this till the end. Also I wish you all a lovely day ahead, please take care of yourself. God bless! (And I love you all!)

P.S. Don’t forget to make a difference in this world in your own special way. Go out! Do wonders! And of-course keep writing! :)