TBT: World Post Day Reminds Us Why Letters Still Matter

There was something beautifully innocent about high school letters. They carried a kind of magic that no text or emoji can ever replace. Back then, during sports days, music festivals, or academic symposiums, letters were our love language.

They were the heartbeat of interschool crushes and even secret relationships, passed between hands like treasures wrapped in folded paper.

Those events were not just about competition; they were opportunities to send a piece of yourself across the fence to someone who made you smile.

Writing the letter was an art form. The friend with the best handwriting was booked early because legibility was everything.

The one who performed best in English was asked to help phrase things just right, turning “I miss you” into something that sounded straight out of a novel.

Then there was the class artist who added a touch of beauty with hearts, stars, or graceful calligraphy along the borders.

The letter would be folded carefully, spritzed with perfume, sealed with hope, and handed over to someone attending the next interschool event.

That entrusted friend became the “postman” of our teenage years. They carried not just letters but emotions, tasked with delivering them safely past sharp-eyed teachers and bag searches.

In strict schools where carrying food or snacks from outside and even notes was forbidden, the risk was high. If caught, your letter could end up in the staffroom instead of the hands of your crush.

But when the plan worked and the message actually reached its destination, the excitement was unmatched.

And if you were lucky enough to get a reply, you would guard that folded paper like gold, reading it over and over, grinning through classes, and showing it off to trusted friends.

In a way, those little acts of delivery mirrored what the postal system stood for: connection through distance, messages carried by trust, and the thrill of receiving something that traveled just for you.

As the world marks World Post Day on October 9, it is hard not to draw a soft line between those handwritten notes and the postal letters that once carried our parents’ stories, love, and news across long miles.

Both relied on faith in the messenger, patience in the waiting, and joy in the receiving.

That is what made those moments special. It was not about how fast the message arrived but the meaning and value placed into it. A chance to check in with your friend, crush or even secret childhood boyfriend or girlfriend.

Those high school letters remind us that communication was not always instant, but it was deeply human.

It took effort, creativity, and courage. And even now, when a text can cross the world in a second, part of us still misses the slow, sweet magic of waiting for a letter to arrive.

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