Cuddly Hug Letters by Nikki E Salt

Every month, just before I write my ACW blog post, I pray for inspiration. Not because I'm super holy (far from it!) but because the date springs upon me like a thief in the night! My first reaction is 'Oh bum, it's that time again!' (By the way, according to my son, God doesn't mind the word 'bum') and I turn to the Almighty and ask Him if there is anything particular He'd like me to write. This morning the idea just popped into my head: I would write about handwritten letters.

I mull this over as I orchestrate the brush-your-teeth-and-get-ready-for-school symphony. It was during the Weetabix movement when my brain tuned into the background noise of the radio and I heard the words 'writing letters'. I only caught the end of the interview with Matthew Mills eloquently waxing lyrical about how handwritten letters are particularly important during this Covid season. the words I registered were as follows: "Receiving a handwritten letter at this time is like receiving a handshake." 

Somewhat justified in my selection of topic, I decided to share these wise words but with the addition of my own two-penny-worth. Would I liken the receipt of a handwritten letter to a mere handshake? Oh, no! I would liken it to a full-on, sincere, cuddly hug. Putting a pen to paper means so much more than a text or even an email. Doesn't a handwritten note give you a warm, fuzzy feeling? 

The writer has taken the time to select notepaper, pick up a pen, and write a personal message just for me! No copying and pasting an email that has been amended for each person, not one of those round-robin letters that creates a feeling of inferiority, and certainly not a paltry "Happy Christmas love Tom, Dick and Harry!" I mean whole, lovingly-put-together sentences, complete with punctuation and perhaps a few kisses at the end. 

Yes, it takes time that most of us haven't got and one can never find a pen easily these days but I challenge you as I challenge myself, shall we handcraft a few lines for a loved one, a friend or even a semi-stranger, this Christmas? Let's give some unsuspecting person a handcrafted written, cuddly hug.