Friday, February 6, 2009

Affordable Luxuries # 4: Love Letters



When was the last time you received a love letter? And I mean a real love letter, not a Hallmark card, not a flirtatious email or a suggestive IM, but a real handwritten love letter through the post. When was the last time you wrote one? Have you ever written one?

I have some love letters tucked away someplace from a relationship that went south a long time ago. I think I keep them because while the relationship did not turn out to be the love of my life, the letters testify that my suitor indeed did love me enough to take the time to express his feelings by letter. Who knows, I'm sure it helped that this was before everyone had email (yes this is truly ancient history) and we were separated by an ocean and overseas calls were insanely expensive (no sykpe either!). I know I waited with anticipation for his letters and was thrilled when they would arrive. I would read them over and over and then carefully craft my response. Perhaps, if the relationship was set in the present day, we would just be emailing back and forth. Which makes me wonder if technology has not dampened romance a little. Thoughts?

While you're considering whether you should pick up pen and paper and take the plunge why not rent Possession for some inspiration. Or better yet, if you have the time, read the novel by A. S. Byatt.

Francesco Rubinato has a beautiful line of pen and ink sets that ooze romance. I love their peacock feather pen pictured above.

2 comments:

*ESTAR said...

I completely agree with your idea that technology hampers down on love.

Written letters are just so intimate, I'd rather write a bunch instead of e-mailing. One can just see the effort put into written letters :)

jane said...

I think you hit on the biggest problem with email, it lacks the sense of intimacy one gets from a handwritten letter. I just love good old snail mail!