15 Personal Letters and Cards You’ll Wish You Kept
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Personal letters and cards are moments in pause, emotional and nostalgic time capsules. How frequently do we get rid of them, or lose them in the clutter, convinced that we’ll never need them any more? Fast forward and you’re kicking yourself for not saving that sentimental note from that old friend or those cards that your mom had such a hard time picking for you.
These little pieces of paper don’t really amount to much, but they’ve got stories that no digital message can. Imagine one day stumbling across a box of old letters, it’s like finding treasure. Here are a few personal letters and cards you might regret not holding onto one day.
The Love Letter of Your First Relationship
There’s just no intensity that can compare to first love. It’s all pure, unfiltered emotion from a time when people actually wrote a handwritten love letter. Yeah, it’s cheesy but it’s also a reminder of a time you felt so raw and young. The words show that life was full of possibilities, and there was a time love was brand new.
A Card From Your Parents Saying, ‘Congratulations’
No matter for what these cards are for, graduation, new job or just a personal milestone, but the messages that accompany these cards are imbued with heartfelt emotion that transcends the occasion. These cards, when you’re a kid, are just words. Years later when life is hard or someone dies, they become more than words, they are a hug from the past.
Letters From a Pen Pal
In a pre internet world, where the world wasn’t so small, pen pals were our windows to other cultures and lives. Going through an old letter from someone halfway across the globe takes you went back to a time when you were curious and excited to learn about someone else’s world.
A Card Your Child Wrote When They Started Writing
What’s cuter than the most lopsided of drawings and the most shaky of handwriting that says ‘I love you, Mom’ or ‘You’re the best, Dad’? It’s messy, it’s imperfect, and it’s priceless. That little card is so full of innocence and love and one day that child will be grown and you will treasure it.
The Letter That Broke You Up From the Inside Out
There are also painful letters worth keeping. You can look over time to see how much you’ve grown since then. It may hurt now but it will be a testimony of how you overcame later.
A Holiday Card From a Relative Who Has Died
Holiday cards can be generic, but it means more when it’s from someone who isn’t around anymore. A simple ‘Merry Christmas’ is a treasured reminder of a loved one’s handwriting, and very presence.
A Note of Apology From a Close Friend
An apology is just the ticket to restore friendships before they go wrong. Fast forward some years later, and that note is a great testament to how important you two are bonded and how important forgiveness is.
A Distant Adventure Postcard
The place you visited and the moment you spent seem to stick on postcards. They remind you of a time when you were free and adventurous. You may see it this way now, but in a few years from now, that quick note written from the Eiffel Tower or the Grand Canyon could mean more to you than you thought possible.
A Mentor’s Encouraging Letter
The potential our mentors see in us, we often don’t see. If you’re not sure of a direction or decision, a letter of encouragement from someone who believes in you can bring back to you a sense that you can do it.
Your Wedding Thank You Card
Thank you cards from your guests can be a whirlwind on your wedding day, but they can remind you of the people who made your day special. They are a little peek into a time of love, thanks, and into one of the happiest times of your life.
A Personal Note From Your Grandparents
Grandparents speak with a way that sounds like wisdom, but with a warmth. Their cards are usually simple but have powerful sentiments that stay with you for ever after they’re gone. A study by Chapman University found people find it just as painful to lose sentimental items — letters and pictures as they do to lose things of value, such as jewelry, so hold on to that note.
The Letter You Wrote Yourself in High School
In school, many people are asked to write letters and send to their future selves. Reconnecting with it a year later is a surreal thing, as if you’re hearing from a younger, more optimistic you.
Letter From a Friend During a Tough Time
Sometimes, it can feel like a lifeline when a friend just writes you something nice at the right time. These are the notes of someone that cared, tried to reach out and help you when you needed it the most.
A Birthday Card for Your Partner’s First Birthday
The first days of a relationship are heavenly. The birthday card from a partner may seem small, but it’s a reminder of the time when the two of you were starting a sweet, awkward path together.
The Letter Your Parents Wrote About What Your Childhood Was Like
Parents don’t often talk in black and white, but when they do, it feels like you’ve found a certain part of your story. There is nothing as beautiful as a reminder of how you were loved and a letter about who you were as a child does the job perfectly.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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