Letters of Peace: One Handwritten Letter at a Time

On my flight to Philadelphia for the 2016 WordCamp US conference, I put away my smartphone and laptop, pulled out the airline monthly magazine from the pouch on the seatback, and settled in to read.

Within the first few pages of the magazine, I found a full-page reproduction of a handwritten letter that quickly catapulted me back to my teen years.

I wiped away my tears as I read the heartfelt words from a man writing about his teenage brother’s experience with bullying (Wayback Machine archive) and the unfortunate, tragic outcome.

The man ended his letter with an uplifting thought which moved me:

The only way to end suffering in this nation, whether it be from bullying or discrimination, is not to highlight differences between groups of people, but to focus on the importance of accountability and character.

What a powerful message!

Letters of Peace

At the bottom of the page I saw the hashtag #LettersOfPeace. When I took the train into the city, I went online and searched for it.

That’s when I discovered the letter was part of the Paper & Packaging’s inspiring Letters of Peace project to spread messages of peace this holiday season.

The concept behind Letters of Peace is that handwriting your thoughts on paper can help heal minds and hearts.

It allows the individual to move past their own loss.

On the Letters of Peace website (sadly, no longer available as of July 2021), five people share letters about their personal experiences, what they’ve overcome, and how they are inspiring peace.

I read handwritten letters from a teenager at the 2012 school shooting in Columbine, Colorado, a survivor of human trafficking, and a trauma-care advocate who lost a leg in the Boston Marathon bombing in 2014.

Why Write Handwritten Letters?

I know many of my friends and colleagues have stopped handwriting letters or cards.

They prefer to share their thoughts digitally. I do both; I write digitally and I hand write in a journal.

According to Dr. Jeremy Nobel, real writing, using a pen or pencil to put your thoughts on paper, can help make sense of what happened.

It helps you get relief by telling your story to someone else.

And when you’re reading someone else’s letter, it creates a connection and improves empathy and compassion.

Put pen to paper and join #LettersofPeace. Start with our prompt, then share your words. Learn more: How Life Unfolds — Paper & Packaging (@HowLifeUnfolds) November 21, 2016