If you know me, you know that twenty minutes is a long time for me to sit and do one thing. So, when I was looking for a Ted Talk to analyze, I was looking for a short one still chalked full of information. “Love Letters to Strangers” by Hannah Brencher was just about three minutes, and the title intrigued me.

Hannah started off by talking about her time in college, where she was the only one waiting at the post office for a letter from her mother. Everyone else’s patents were just texting or calling them, but Hannah’s mom truly believed in the old way of communication. So when Hannah moved away from her family after college and was hit with depression, Hannah used her letter writing skills to write letters and help with her mental state. She wrote hundreds of love letters and placed them around New York City.

From this stemmed her idea of writing love letters for people who needed them all over the world. She created an inbox where people could write to her requesting a love letter. Suddenly, her inbox was full and she had gotten so many heartfelt stories about suffering, love, hate and everything else in between across the country. So, Hannah began to write back to these people, not only helping her mental health but also aiding people in their most desperate times of need.

Today, Hannah runs an organization that writes and send letters to people who need them. Not only did this allow her to continue her passion, but also know that she was making a difference in the world. Letter writing, although a thing of the past, is now one of the most meaningful ways of communication. It is much more personal and takes a lot more effort than a quick text. And whether it comes from your mom or a total stranger, a handwritten letter can change your day for the better.