By Sophie Masi
NELLE / @elledc510 on Pinterest
From ancient times, with Cleopatra and Mark Antony, to “The Notebook” with Noah and Allie, love letters have always been alive. But now, with dating apps and Snapchat, is chivalry truly dead?
Now, that’s not to say text messages can’t be heartfelt (though I’m not sure Tinder conversation starters qualify…), but what happened to writing all of your feelings and thoughts down as a gift to someone you hold close? There's something particularly special about knowing a person took the time to write down all their deepest, most sincere perceptions of you.
As a child, I remember I found a scrapbook in my basement. Inside were pictures, movie tickets, and pages and pages full of words and lovely stories. The scrapbook was a gift to my dad from my mom when they were 16. Since then, I’ve had a deep love for writing letters.
A love letter doesn’t only need to be to a significant other, but to anyone you love, even yourself. In middle school, my friends and I would write letters to each other with encoded messages. When I would go to sleep away camp, one of my favorite memories would be exchanging letters with my parents back home. Even now, for birthdays, I love writing letters to my family and friends.
So why are love letters so rare today? Do people find it too cringeworthy? Too vulnerable? How would you feel if you received a love letter? Not just on Valentine’s Day or your anniversary—but simply because.
I refuse to let the language of love letters get lost, and so should you.
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