I met Cathy Shaneyfelt at a letter writing workshop she held at Bella Vita Jewelry in January of 2020, but she'd founded the Little Rock Letter Writers League in February of 2017, and has been an advocate for the importance of snail mail since well before that. As a teen, she worked in a Hallmark store, and as an adult she and her mother corresponded across town. Cathy cherishes the memories those letters preserve - not only in their words, but also in the stationery and penmanship. "She really was my mentor as far as doing the actual sending of mail," says Cathy. "All of the notes that were extra special to me I’ve kept. Someone’s handwriting is as unique as it gets."
Pre-pandemic, the Little Rock Letter Writers League gathered monthly in a library meeting room - now they try to meet once a season, over Zoom. Either way, the format is the same. Everyone brings their paper, pens, washi, stamps, and other supplies, and most importantly, a sense of intention. "Ponder to whom you will write," is a phrase Cathy uses to sign off the reminder emails, and it's the intention that makes the gatherings so special. The coffee shop atmosphere of ambient music drifting over people spread across the room, the active silence of words preserved rather than hastily spoken and quickly forgotten, the joy of common purpose carried out adjacent to others... even over the Zoom meetings, I've been amazed at how much writing I can get done in that hour and a half or so. "That is community right there," Cathy says. "You can be alongside each other, having the same mission and the same goal."
I've always been a collector of paper and pens, of stickers and ephemera. Writing thank you notes was just part of receiving a gift, and I delighted in the fun extra-postage-required birthday cards from my uncle and the trivia column clippings my grandma sent. While my pandemic posting hasn't been what I would have liked, a thank you note I received nearly brought me to tears and I was reminded of the importance of the paper hug. But I haven't been the only one who's hit a wall. "Letter writing in a pandemic has been really hard," Cathy says. "Everyone’s just tired of everything."
For me, joining a happy mail group on Facebook has helped me lower my standards, in a good way. A multi page missive to a dear friend is a wonderful thing - and so is a sticker bombed postcard, or a decorated envelope with a preprinted quote tucked inside.
April is National Letter Writing month, and to meet the goal of a letter a day, I'm planning to set myself up for success by sending both types - pages of connection and gratitude when I can, and meditative art forms when I can't. The need for tangible connection never goes away, especially during times of upheaval and change, and there are ways to keep touch alive, even in the absence of gatherings and hugs. "It still amazes me that for the cost of a stamp you can send your thoughts," Cathy says. "It’s such a deal and such a great way to send love and light into the world!"
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