Nothing is more romantic than a handwritten love letter

For anyone considering sending a romantic text to their Valentine on Wednesday, one author is wanting you to reconsider.

Award-winning author of “The Legacy Letters,” Carew Papritz explains nothing is better at expressing your feelings than an old-fashioned, handwritten love letter.

But Papritz cautions — in his research, he says some people don’t really get it right.

“The worst love letters were very, let’s say profane,” he told CityNews through giggles. “The other funny ones were … definitely offbeat.”

“‘Dear honey, welcome home. Happy Valentine’s Day. I’m hiding in the house with a Nerf gun,’” Papritz recalled of one he found. “‘The loser cooks dinner tonight. May the odds be forever in your favour. I love you, your wife.’”

“‘Dear so and so, a rose is not a good symbol for love — roses wilt. I will not give you a rose or even flowers. Our love is forever. So, here is an iPhone.’ Nothing speaks love like giving your significant other or spouse an iPhone,” Papritz laughed.

“‘Dear so and so, happy Valentine’s Day. I’m sorry you did not have a great day. I just want to remind you that I love you, and I’m always here for you,’” he said of another. “‘Now enjoy a beer, and come grab my breast when you’re ready. Love, your darling wife.’

“And I thought, wow, that’s love, that’s romance,” he said.

So how do you write the perfect love letter? Papritz advises that in nice language, choose three great things about your Valentine, write them down with feeling, and sign it with your love.

“It’s sort of interesting, when you think about writing a letter, especially in this day and age, people freak out because it’s the great white blank page that scares the living daylights out of them,” he said.

Papritz says only five minutes are needed to compose a really great love letter.

“Go to the printer; everyone’s got a printer. Pull out a sheet of paper. Guess what, you don’t get to type it out — you have to write your chicken scratch on it because that’s what makes it emotional.

“Because true love is truly found in the simplest things we do for our loved ones every day,” he added.

So it begins as “such as, ‘Honey, I love the way you get me my chicken wings and beer for the Super Bowl game, and thank you for consoling me after the 49ers lost.’”

Papritz explains that writing a letter is such a simple thing, “I just want everyone to realize the power.”

You can hear more from On the Off Beat reporter Mike Lloyd by listening live to CityNews 1130.