— Handwriting can help to calm your mind, sharpen your writing skills, and make sense of memories and feelings at the same time. Writing can create order out of internal chaos and calm the internal chatter that creates the stress in the first place. Writing letters can be just as soothing, calming, and meditative as knitting, drawing, or painting. Letters help us to weave the tapestry of love that is our lives.
They record our humanity, the better parts of us. And if we write them now, we will still be here on paper a hundred years from now, proving to future generations that the human heart changes little through space and time. Love never dies. Letters ensure that our words and our humanity do not either.
Valeria interviews Lynne Kolze — She is the author of “Please Write: Finding Joy and Meaning in the Soulful Art of Handwritten Letters.”
Lynne Kolze has been writing letters for over five decades to all kinds of people, for all kinds of reasons. Spending all these years writing letters, she learned that it is the small things we do for one another that make the most difference. Lynne discovered that letters are one of the most powerful, creative, joyful gifts that one person can give to another. No other gift that is as precious costs so little and has such a lasting impact. In fact, a letter’s power is often in the rich legacy it leaves behind for future generations. In a world of quick, cookie-cutter, and one-dimensional communications, letters offer a respite from the cyber world we experience every day.
Lynne never imagined herself as someone who would become an author, but her research into the art of letter writing sparked an interest in sharing what she learned with others. Over time, she gathered stories from others about the ways in which letters changed or enriched their lives. Their stories, as well as her own experiences, inspired this book.
Lynne began her life in suburban Chicago, then followed her dream of becoming involved in environmental protection. She received bachelor’s degrees in water resources and natural resources management from the University of Wisconsin, and a master’s degree in public affairs from Indiana University. Lynne then spent over 30 years in public service, mostly working on water protection efforts in Chicago, Washington, DC, and Minnesota. During these years, she advocated for better citizen engagement in water planning efforts. She enjoyed working with citizens most, finding joy in their knowledge and ideas as well as the comradery and connections she made.
In many ways, letter writing, and public service are similar pursuits: each involves sharing, storytelling, listening, connecting, and building community through reciprocal giving. Both have given her great satisfaction and contributed to her growth as a person.
Lynne currently lives in the “Twin Cities” in Minnesota, not far from the Mississippi River with her husband. She enjoys spending time with him in nature, visiting with her two adult children, and gardening, reading, and dabbling in amateur photography.
Her new mantra is: “Kindness is underrated. Be a letter writer. Change a life!”
To learn more about Lynne Kolze and her work, please visit:
— This podcast is a quest for well-being, a quest for a meaningful life through the exploration of fundamental truths, enlightening ideas, insights on physical, mental, and spiritual health. The inspiration is Love. The aspiration is to awaken new ways of thinking that can lead us to a new way of being, being well.
