E-mail or Mail: Which One is More Heartfelt?

The frequency of my visits to the U.S. Post Office in my neighborhood changed about five years ago. I had a P.O. Box I used to mail letters and cards to my friends and family living in other states.

I enjoyed the meticulous nature of folding each letter, placing the stamp, sealing the envelope and blowing good luck on it as I sent it on its way. 

But things changed. I got rid of my P.O. Box and started sending e-mails instead. 

The selling point was it saved me time. Lots of it.

Then I got to thinking the less time I put into sending this electronic message, the less energy it had and the less heartfelt it was. It doesn't mean I cared less for the friends and family I was sending it to. It just meant that I had less time to devote to the caring nature of sending them my good thoughts in a letter or card.

I love recieving them. I'm as excited as a child in a candy store when I get a letter in the mail from a loved one. I know they spent time picking the card, writing the letter or note, placing the stamp, writing my address by hand and mailing it off.

It means a lot that they took the time to think of me.  

Last year when I visited Puerto Rico, I wanted to send some friends a postcard from a city I visited while there. It's more meaningful that way, I thought. So I did. 

When I heard back from them, they were thrilled to have received it, postmarked Naugabo. 

Since then, I have continued to send postcards, cards and letters from the places I visit to my friends and family.

Technology has changed the way we communicate. It's faster and easier (for most) to send an e-mail or message on Facebook. This has led our post offices to face fiscal challenges. Many have closed or downsized. Today, the U.S. Postal Service is announcing the closing of 3,600 locations. 

When was the last time you set foot inside a post office?