This week, as we near the end of 2025, the writers and editors of KQED Arts & Culture are reflecting on One Beautiful Thing from the year.

Mail has always been boring for me. Besides the occasional package, I’ve never truly enjoyed the inconvenience of checking my mailbox. What do I get from rifling through envelopes filled with phone bills, student loan statements and my alma mater asking for donations?

Recently, though, I’ve rushed to check my mail every day, tossing aside all other envelopes for the real treasure: a handwritten letter from a friend.

Long-distance friendships should hypothetically have a higher success rate these days, considering that phone calls are readily available at our fingertips. It’s easy, too easy. We get lost in the routine of everyday life, and relatio

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