THE PERSONAL TOUCH OF HANDWRITTEN MAIL
But perhaps the datedness of sending handwritten mail has made it even more of a meaningful gesture today.
My daughters’ primary school has a yearly Post-A-Blessing project, where students get to design postcards for loved ones, friends or anyone they would like to encourage. The school then uses SingPost to mail out the postcards.
Whenever my girls’ postcards arrive in the mail, addressed to me and my husband, I would always be touched by their sweet messages and doodles. These postcards, which we put up at our desks at home, are constant reminders of their love for us.
Their Post-A-Blessing project also has students penning postcards to healthcare workers and support staff in their school like cleaners and security guards. It is a lovely gesture that would make their recipients’ day.
Even in a hyper-connected world, kids love receiving mail too. A friend who is a children’s book author and illustrator recently had some limited-edition postcards, and offered on social media to send them to readers with a message. A mum who took up the offer shared how happy her son was to have received the author’s personalised postcard.
Pen pals, which I used to keep as a child, have become popular among youth thanks to TikTok. Videos tagged #penpal have accumulated more than 470 million views on the platform, and feature users penning letters to strangers, complete with drawings and custom wax seals.
Many of these users picked up the hobby during COVID-19 lockdowns, for a sense of routine in an uncertain time.