Irene Rodrigues was in her late 20s when she married a sailor. He would sail most of the year and be home after eight months out at sea. That was in the 1980s, when phones in Goa were rare and verbal communication difficult, but their love strengthened and grew through the letters they would write to each other.
Now, 35 years later, Irene still pulls out all those treasured letters, re-reads what her husband had written to her, and her wrinkled face still blushes like she was in her 20s.
Irene says that whenever she feel a little low she reads the letters. “My husband would write a lot about how I need to be strong as a woman and a mother, and he would describe how his life on the ship was, the hardships he had to face and so much more. I think it’s the letters that made me respect him even more. I would send him photos of our daughter and how she is growing up. This for me is love, and I have treasured it till today.”
The charm of writing letters in today’s digital world of instant communication is fading away. However, there are a few who are keeping it alive, who take the time to pen down a letter or even a postcard to their near and dear ones.
Being an artist, I have a lot of pieces of art made, and I have decided to turn them into postcards. Today’s kids are born in the computer generation, so I’m trying to teach them to write letters and postcards which we later post at the post office.Ragini Dhingra, artist
Among them is 20-something Ruth Costa, who loves to write letters and has even made a few pen pals.
“In our hectic lives, where instant gratification is the norm, it’s easy to overlook the value of meaningful connections. With the constant barrage of notifications, it's tempting to multitask and give half-hearted responses. I prefer to take my time and offer thoughtful replies when I have the undivided attention to give,” says Ruth.
She adds, "Letter writing is a similar process. It’s a therapeutic way to express myself fully and honestly, without the constraints of real-time communication.
The art of sending a postcard is also disappearing, but artist Ragini Dhingra has been trying to revive this dying charm of the postcard among kids and youth.
“Being an artist, I have a lot of pieces of art made, and I have decided to turn them into postcards. Today’s kids are born in the computer generation, so I’m trying to teach them to write letters and postcards which we later post at the post office. It’s a fun experience for all,” says Ragini.
In a world where everything is digital, this postal day, let’s take some time out and pen down some thoughts and memories and send a letter or even a postcard to a dear friend.