Put down the playlist, and pick up a pen
Illustration by Sage Blackwell.
Romance often seems lost nowadays. Meet-cutes in coffee shops have turned into an endless scroll of left- and right-swipes that lead nowhere, and most relationships never seem to make it out of the dreaded “situationship” limbo. The days of sock hops and big romantic gestures appear to be gone for good.
The good news is that small romantic gestures, like the love letter, are still around today, and can be just as meaningful — even if they no longer look like they did 60 years ago.
Many displays of affection have just been modernized to find their place in our current society. For example, the timeless love song is an undoubtedly thoughtful gesture that has never gone away. In fact, half of the songs nominated for Song of the Year at the 2025 Grammy’s could be considered love songs in some way or another.
Another timeless gesture that has yet to fade away, but needs a revival, is the love letter. I grew up writing love letters for each birthday, and each parting from family and friends alike. Now, after over a decade of letter writing and receiving, I have kept every single one. Each letter serves as a time capsule, and a reminder of a little love and encouragement in my life when I need it.
The present-day equivalent of love letters seems to be a carefully curated Spotify playlist, but it’s not the same. While the time and effort that goes into crafting a personalized playlist is certainly commendable, there is a certain thoughtfulness and physicality that it lacks.
Nothing quite compares to handwritten letters and notes: the curls of the writing, the smudges made by a left-handed lover, the way letters demand you to be fully present when writing, the tactile experience of the paper, and the spritz of their signature perfume. None of this can be replicated through a digitized playlist, or a text with emojis.
Without the physical record of love letters, we may never have learned about famous historical romances, such as the love between renowned author Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West. In one of her letters to Woolf, Sackville-West wrote, “I just miss you, in a quite simple desperate human way.” Beautiful sentiments like this are meant to be handwritten and closed with a wax seal — not to disappear in a text-thread of messages that auto-delete every three months.
Love letters also don’t have to be for significant others. Write letters of love and gratitude for the people in your life who make you smile, and who are there when you need it.
An Atlanta-based organization by the name of “The World Needs More Love Letters” recognizes the value of both writing and receiving love letters. It began 12 years ago, and this project’s goal is to bring joy and love to those who might not be able to find it in their own day-to-day lives. Each month they post five or six stories from people from all over the world who were nominated by someone in their life to receive a letter bundle. Volunteers write as many letters as they care to.
A love letter can also be a gesture of kindness for oneself. The New York Times has a 20-year-old column called Modern Love that explores love stories in the 21st century. To celebrate this multi-decade milestone, they published a request that essayists write letters to their younger selves. What poured in was a heartwarming display of self-compassion from many writers.
Sometimes, something small and intimate can mean more to someone than an overblown, showy display of affection — or even something practical, and digitized. Next time you catch the love bug, opt to write an everlasting letter. A piece of history; complete with smudges, misspellings, and a whole lot of love.
