The Art Of The Love Letter
by Monica Conrady

In this age of electronic everything, the idea of actually writing a love letter for Valentine’s Day may sound rather quaint and old-fashioned. But throughout history, the great romantics of the world understood that a sure-fire way to a lover’s heart is through the pen.

Writing love letters came easy to the likes of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Lord Byron and even Napoleon, who referred to his wife, the Empress Josephine, as “my adorable” in a letter sent from the battlefield.

But for the rest of us, a few tips to help us on our way are in order:

• Keep it short. Three or four sentences, straight from the heart, is the way to go.
  
• Use good quality stationery. No pink paper, perfume or cutesy cards. You want this to be simple, but classy.
• Think posterity. Even if you’re having a hot affair, be sure your letter is no more than R-rated. You don’t want it to come back and haunt you. Besides, it’s fun to give your descendants something to wonder about.
  
• Write it. Don’t even think of typing it. You may be worried about your handwriting but people love getting a handwritten note, even if they do have to spend time deciphering it.
  

So this Valentine’s Day, why not send a good old-fashioned love letter to the object of your affections? Remember, it will still be around long after the candy and roses are forgotten.

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