Love Letters

A Venn diagram showing the overlap between ‘love’ and ‘to myself’ is ‘love’.

I used to work on the reception desk with a woman whose husband made her packed lunch every day. On its own, this puts him in the Premier League of Husbands but he earned himself additional points by adding little notes. I never got to read any of them but often saw the reaction they produced. Usually a small sigh or an open palm pressed to the breastbone, very occasionally, a scrunch and a lob towards the bin.

Callow thing that I was, I thought it was all a bit much from two people who’d seen each other, actually to speak to, a mere three hours ago but now, I realise the power of just a few words sent from a loved one, whether it was with affection, information or exasperation.

My latest novel – Love Letters – is being published this Thursday, 1 February.

As you can guess, there are love letters in the book but the sad news last week that Royal Mail are considering dropping down to just three deliveries a week for non-parcel post has got me thinking.

We should send more letters in the post. A second-class stamp is just 75p.

Sure, emails and WhatsApps have their place if you want to swap info quickly but how about replacing every fifth message with a proper note or letter in your own handwriting on a proper bit of dead tree? Do you think you would prefer to read a note put into your sandwich box or have an envelope with all the latest goings-on waiting for you on the doormat when you get home from work? If you do, then so would someone else.

And even if you don’t have anyone who doesn’t already live at your address to write to, how about sending notes to yourself? I’m a big fan of writing to Future Me. Sometimes, these can be of a practical nature, for example, a note tucked into the pocket of your winter coat reminding you that no, you don’t like Panettone and don’t believe the hype when Mr Aldi tries to convince you otherwise. 

Or they can be more cheerful, telling Future Me of something you remember very clearly right now but Future Me will have forgotten about – a fact, a feeling, something good, something bad, that funny thing that happened.

To misquote, ‘Don’t knock it, it’s a letter from someone you love.’