Soul Sustenance: Why Love Letters are Still Important in a 24/7 World!

I recently had a chance to interview Carew Papritz, author of the award-winning and bestselling inspirational book,The Legacy Letters, about love letters.

Is it common for people to write love letters now?

No, because in our 24/7 technology-drenched world where instant isn’t fast enough and now is way too slow, we multiply our multitasking world of kids, work, friends, and saturated social media like a 5-arm juggler on steroids.  And somewhere amidst all this free-for-all frenzied life we lead, we are supposed to find “romantic time” with our partner, wife, lover, and friend.  And now we are supposed to find time to write a love letter? Yeah, right.

Why even write a love letter?  To rekindle your romance with words?  “Okay, I’ll just send a quick I-Love-You text to my love and emoji it with lots of smiley faces and red hearts.”  Nope.  That’s not love.  That’s an excuse.  

So how do you make the time to write this letter?  You MAKE the time.  Because romance is important.  Because passion is important.  It’s the engine behind your entire relationship.  If the engine isn’t running smoothly, the rest of the car knows it.  You also owe your kids the best of who you are.  That means a time out for Mama and Papa.  If you really want to teach your kids a life lesson, show them the importance of how you take time out to be with your partner.  Let them know the importance of romance. 

How easy is it to write a love letter?  EASY!  I know how scary it is to write a love letter but you can do it in 5 minutes.  How?  Grab a sheet of paper from the printer (yes, we all have printers).  Find a pen.  Write “Dear” or “Honey” or “Darling.”  This is a romance letter.  (Don’t use “Hey.” Hay is for horses . . .)  Now write 3 things your partner does for you every day that you’re thankful for.  Simple.  Because true love is truly found in the simplest things we do for our loved ones every day.  End it with “love” and your name, or nickname, or love name.  If you can find an envelope, so much the better.  It’s like wrapping paper for a letter.  And that’s it.  You can leave it as a surprise under the pillow or at their desk.  Or even give it to them in person.  Then watch the “real” romance begin . . . 

What are the elements of a good love letter?

Paper, ink, desire, and time. 

Letters are real.  They are made of paper and the paper holds the time that you place into the words.  And the paper can be held.  It is human-sized and made for hands to hold and touch—and feel.  It is not electronic or made of electrons.  And because letters are real, they can be saved and cherished for a long time. And you can always feel the person in the way they write.  Over and over again.  Now if that isn’t romantic, I don’t know what it.  Besides, who saves a love text and prints it out?  Or a love e-mail?  You get the point.

Why is a love letter such a good investment of time?

Because a letter takes time.  Your time.  And your time becomes part of the letter—part of the gift you give to your partner.  For time is not a thing you can buy.  It’s the most precious part of our lives to give to one another.  Real romance takes time.  It’s not instant.  There’s a dance involved, and the dance of love take time.  All of that time and dance and love is woven into this love letter of yours.  To then give to the person you love.

I still believe the words in my book, The Legacy Letters, will always hold true: “The worst love letter in the world is no love letter at all.”

ABOUT CAREW PAPRITZ

Carew Papritz, also known as The Cowboy Philosopher, is the author of the multi-award winning book The Legacy Letters. This best-selling author left his career as a filmmaker in Hollywood, and returning to his ranching roots, worked as a cowboy on a cattle ranch in the Southwest where he began writing his book. The Legacy Letters, though fictional, has also won acclaim as a life lessons book for all generations, gaining the distinction of being the only book in publishing history to win awards in both fiction and non-fiction categories. A Renaissance Man in an age that lauds the specialist, The Huffington Post says Papritz "intrigues and enlightens, charms and catalyzes change for every reader."

Also, check out Carew’s fun and inspirational YouTube series for kids called, “I Love to Read,”  where Carew reads The Legacy Letters on top of horses, while skiing, next to castles, and more!