I received a letter from my youngest son in the mail today. Now, I’m a big fan of email, texting, and Facebook chat threads, but nothing beats a good old-fashioned, pen-&-ink, real-paper-&-a-stamp letter!

Maybe the magic comes from knowing that I am holding in my hands the very same letter my son was holding in his hands only a few days ago – this paper missive has, for a moment, eliminated the miles between us.

Maybe it’s the thought that goes into a hand-written letter…this wasn’t something typed off on the spur of the moment, in the few minutes between one time commitment and the next.

Maybe it’s the handwriting…electronic messages, whether a personal email from a friend or an advertisement from some marketing engine, they all look the same. But today’s letter, because of the distinct black lettering on the envelope, was uniquely Ben’s even before I opened it.

Maybe it’s simply the excitement of finding something addressed especially to me in the mailbox, something besides bills and sales flyers!

I LOVE snail mail. I love to receive it. I love to send it. Receiving snail mail is like opening your mailbox and finding a bit of sunshine tucked inside.

My daughter asked me recently how she could encourage the women in her church. My answer: pray for the ladies in your church, and when you do, take a minute to write a handwritten note telling them that you are thinking of them. Praying and writing doubles the blessing: blessed today, as each is lifted up in prayer; blessed again a few days from now, with a note of encouragement.

I realize snail mail is a bit old-fashioned. So are lots of other good things, like homemade biscuits, fidelity, and financial prudence.

Some of the old-fashioned things…I think we need to bring them back.