Pen Pal Love Still Going Strong After 28 Years

Jo Emery was only 18 years old when she saw an advert in a local newspaper inviting people to send letters to the troops serving in the Gulf War. She soon received a reply from one Private Kevin Algeo, who nicked the letter from a friend. Jo and Kevin continued to exchange letters for more than two years before they finally met, and married in 1994. Today, 28 years and two children later, they are more in love than ever before. Letter writing has a long and colorful history, dating back as far as 500 BC, with the stamped letters we know today originating during the reign of Queen Victoria back in 1840.  Despite living in an era when writing on paper has largely made way for the technology of emails and instant messaging apps, letter writing still has a valuable place in the world, in which it holds great benefit for writers and letter receivers alike.

Letter writing creates lasting memories

The letters Jo and Kevin exchanged will always be of great importance to them, as they signify what was to be the start of a beautiful life story. As long as they are stored in a safe place, letters can be read and appreciated for countless years. Unlike emails and SMS messages, handwritten letters are both tangible and personal, and can make for a beautiful addition to a photo album or scrapbook. Many famous letters, such as those penned by Mark Twain and Abraham Lincoln are on display in museums, where they continue to evoke emotion and inspire all the visitors to the various exhibition halls.

Pick up a pen and write

If Jo had not picked up a pen and piece of paper and written that first letter back in 1990, she would never have met Kevin. Reviving the art of letter writing does not require you to turn your back on technology. What is does entail is you closing your laptop, picking out some neat stationery and stocking up on some postage stamps. Any piece of paper and envelope would do, but if you really want to take your letter writing to the next level, you can obtain incredible stationery online from sites such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and buy stamps from OnlineStamp.

Write letters to everyone you know

Don’t think that because it is 2019 your friends and family members will not appreciate a hand-written letter. Even if they themselves think they’re too modern for such antiquities, chances are good that they will change their minds once they receive their letters. Even if you don’t want to take the risk and declare your undying love to someone via a letter, you can do your part in keeping letter writing alive by signing up to a modern-day pen pal service that will allow you to write and send letters to your heart’s content. Interpals and PenpalsNow allow you to connect with other letter-writing individuals from all over the world, while Postcrossing invites people to send and receive postcards from random places across the globe.

Not everyone will be lucky enough to find their soul mate in the same way Jo did. It remains, however, the perfect example of how powerful a written letter can be, and acts as an encouragement to everyone to continue to write letters and initiate their own beautiful stories.