After the holidays, my nieces and nephews sent me handwritten thank yous for their Christmas gifts. I suspect their mothers strongly encouraged them, and I really appreciated the effort. The importance of sending a thank you note was drilled into our heads at a young age, and it’s good to see the tradition continue.

On a related note, a friend recently told me she is sorry to see how few letters are written these days. She fears history will be lost because people communicate through Tweets, texts and e-mails now instead of writing actual letters that can be saved for future generations.

I’m happy to report there are still some missives in the mail. One of my co-workers, editor Jeanne DePaul, has been writing a weekly letter to her parents in Tacoma for close to 15 years. The letters are never less than four typewritten pages and often include photos, clippings or other items of interest. This ritual takes place every Monday night to ensure a Thursday delivery, a highlight in her elderly parents’ week. (She gets a phone call if it’s late.) Always a letter writer, Jeanne said she enjoys the weekly task.

I love writing and receiving letters, too, and I’ve saved lots of them over the years. I’ll hang on to those thank you notes as well. It’ll be fun to show the kids what they wrote way back in 2010.

Last 5 posts by Kerri

• Washington teen arrested for allegedly planning school shootings - March 3rd, 2010
• Corporate giving on the upswing - February 24th, 2010
• Newspaper correspondent remembered - February 18th, 2010
• Asotin County ranks low in overall health - February 17th, 2010
• Future of Lewiston and Clarkston high schools moves to front burner - February 15th, 2010