As a kid, it was a wonderful thing to see the mail man at our box. I had various pen pals over the years, and the idea that I could communicate with people all over the country, all on my own, was mind-blowing. (By the way, I’m pretty sure that every letter I wrote back then started like this: “Dear [name], How are you?  I’m fine.”)

To this day, I still get excited to receive a personalized note in the mail. I love the feel of the paper in my hand, admiring the stationery/card that was selected, evaluating the affixed stamp, pondering the color of ink used to write, and feeling close to a person because I know their hand rested on the page. For me, snail mail beats an email or online posting any day.