I have a box of old, handwritten letters and cards from old flames in my parents garage and I bet my letters to boyfriends past are gathering dust in basements or garages around the city.
The art of writing a love letter, and the courage it takes to send one, has become lost and replaced with with heart-shaped emojis, But, text messaging could never replace soul-baring expressions written in pen.
Millennials still dream of love letters.
In fact, Elite Singles polled 400 Canadians and discovered that, this year, the Valentine’s gift people want the most is a love letter or a poem, with 56 per cent of Canadians reporting that love letters are the perfect Valentine’s Day gift. According to the survey, Canadians still think the love letter has merit, with 83 per cent of respondents agreeing that it’s vital to exchange love letters in a relationship.
Of course, it’s always nice to receive mushy emails and text messages (you know, the kind that give you that dead giveaway goofy grin). But it’s just not the same. Of those questioned, only 7 per cent of those under 35 think that text messages are just as romantic as handwritten letters. Just 3 per cent of those over 35 agreed.
Sixty one per cent of Canadians agreed that actually putting pen to paper was the most romantic format for a love letter.
Of course, in order to write a love letter, you need to be emotionally available and aware enough to do so. As we’ve said before, the problem with the app-facilitated modern dating culture is the absence of emotion that’s made us terrified to actually love someone in all the real, raw and expressive glory.
Instead, most millennials avoid “catching the feels” at all costs (literally; one in four millennials surveyed would even date a robot).
When it comes to the love letter, keep in mind that it’s often easier for some to be vulnerable, emotionally expressive and sensitive via written communication than face-to-face. You don’t have to have writing chops that rival those of Shakespeare either. According to Elite Singles, 73 per cent of respondents said that that a letter written straight from the heart was more special than one that focused on beautiful writing.
Just be honest. Think about all the things you like about the person and why you’re grateful to have them in your life. Then write it out (and don’t worry about messy handwriting).
As for those love letters collecting dust, it turns out that it’s only natural to keep letters from times past, with 70 per cent of men and 86 per cent of women reporting that it was acceptable to keep letters from an old flame (even if they remain in a box with your old yearbooks).
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