Monday, September 6, 2010

Letter Writing

     I had something really fabulous happen to me yesterday! Before I tell you about it though, let me tell you how important I think 'heart communication' is. I'm talking about taking the time to keep in touch, to catch up, and to giggle...in person, on the computer, IN WRITING.
   I know, I know! It's the fast communication age now, and most people these days would say: "Why do you need "Snail Mail" at all when you have Facebook, Twitter, etc..?" First, let me say, I DO NOT like the expression "Snail Mail"! I think it's disrespectful to my beloved 'words'. Sometimes the waiting time for a letter to come in the mail, a letter you know is coming because you trade letters back and forth all the time, is precious!! "Snail Mail" indeed!!...HUH!...But maybe that's just me!
    Look at this envelope (in the header photo) with all of those colorful butterflies. The paper is smooth, but crisp. It has a smell like a new cut tree branch, and the colors jump off of the paper and make the sides of your smile go up!! :-) There is no equivalent  to the feel of stationary and envelopes!! Especially if the envelope is bulky and it has a destination with your name and address on the front!
    I love sending and receiving letters! This particular envelope is one I've sent many times. The front of the envelope is plain...
    It needs to be that way for the mailman. He doesn't need a lot of clutter when he's just trying to figure out where to take the letter. I mean, it's not going to HIS house! But it makes my heart feel good to know my loved one is going to turn the envelope over to open it, and all of my heartfelt words are going to be preceded by colorful butterflies! Even when they lift the flap!!
    I used to have a bunch of matching stationary with butterflies in the corners too, but, with as much as I talk, the stationary has been long since gone!! LOL And unfortunately I can't find anymore just like it anywhere...and believe me I've tried!! As a matter of fact, a good day for me used to be when I put on my flat shoes, went to the Hallmark store, and just went up and down the aisles looking at, and smelling, cards and stationary. Do any of you ever do that? I would always end up spending waaaaay more money than I intended, but I'd be writing my heart out for months!!!
   This is some of the stationary I have left now...
    Of course my picture-taking is not doing it any justice. It has a kind of 'Old World' texture, and it has swirls and grape leaves in each corner.
     I guess it's about time to make a 'Hallmark Run'! ^_^
After I write my letters, depending on what kind of letter it is, and where it's going, I also like to put stickers with flowers all over on them........................Who you calling dorky?!! LOL
    I'm just kind of partial to those cheery little flowers!! ^_^ ...I even like to see them on 'Thank You' cards that I send!
    Okay, so I know I'm a little antiquated and old-fashioned about some things, like letter writing instead of always using quick communication, but if you're being honest wouldn't you rather get a hand-written, pretty smelling letter, that you can read over and over again, in your "Snail Mail" rather that an abbreviated text on somebody's Blackberry'?!!! Come on!!! There's no comparison!

    Now, as to the fabulous thing that happened to me yesterday, and showing that quick communication DOES have it's place, I got a request for 'friending' over on Facebook by someone wondering if she was my cousin. Well, guess what? SHE IS!!! She even had a picture of me and 2 of my sisters that I had never seen before! Yikes! Were we ever homely looking kids!...Ha! Ha!...Oh! The matted afros, and braids I tried to cover up with some sort of fishing cap!! ^_^
    I chatted back and forth with her yesterday and look very much forward to continued communication, 'Heart Communication', with her. The only sad thing for me is that because a lot of my childhood was so bad (and she KNOWS all about it!) I've totally forgotten a lot of things about it. I have gaps in my memory that I hope will one day fill up. Gaps that don't let me remember her face when we were kids, or our playing together, and time spent at her family's house...our rescue haven at times. Maybe the more I talk to her, the more I'll remember. I'll keep you up to date as things progress, and I'll fill you in on some of what happened then, at another time.
    For now, it's poetry time. I wrote this poem the other day, when I was writing letters.

What Should A Written Letter Be?

Should it be a simple "Hi!"?
A casual "I was thinking of you!"?
A 'Catching Up' on times now past?
A calendar of the things you'll do?

A sad reflection of how they're missed?
A needed word when someone's died?
To say you wished you could be there?
To say you really, really tried?

Solicitations for your business?
Requests for info? A note of thanks?
Impersonal salutations from
Insurance companies and banks?

Heartfelt apologies?
Explanations of what you did?
A place to 'let off a little steam'?
To, without loudness, 'Blow your Lid'?

Well, whatever reason for them,
they put a smile upon your face,
that no Facebook, Tweet, or typing
ever, ever, will replace!

I hope they never go out of style,
and keep the mailman's job secure;
because the smell of a written letter,
like hugs and kisses, should endure.

14 comments:

  1. Oh Wug!!! Fabulous news!!! I'm so happy for you to find a relative like that. Hopefully she'll be an asset to your memory. Keep in touch with her for sure!! And make sure you witness to her. You never know! One day she could be even closer to you! :)

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  2. Alicia9/06/2010

    Ohhhhh Deb! That was soooo sweet (sniff-sniff). You know I'm crying, right?.... and smiling through the tears. I wrote The Second in Command last night... mailing it today so it'll be in the first batch out tomorrow. Now if I can just reconnect with The Baby my joy will be complete! Love and miss you much and pray I will be able to see you all SOON!

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  3. CinLynn, It "IS" fabulous news! Now if I could just get my 'tookus' out of this bed and do something else besides mentally go down memory lane!!!!! Ha! Ha!

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  4. Alicia, You're QUICK this morning!! :-) Much better than me!..Oooo! You wrote 'The Second in Command'!! She loves letters too!!! I need to call her today myself! :-) I tried to talk to 'the baby' yesterday. She's hard to catch these days, but maybe today. I'm going to be talking all about you!!! :-))

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  5. Debbie this is a great post! I think your stationary is beautiful! Love it! I used to have lots of stationary and wrote letters all the time! When I was growing up during the summers when school was out my friends and I would send letters to each other and we only lived a few streets away from each other! It was so much fun to send and receive hand written letters. I think that letter writing has gotten lost with all this technology and I miss it!

    And how wonderful you and your cousin found each other! :)

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  6. Cathy, Thanks for the nice complement! Your comment about you and your friends living close by and still writing letters makes my point exactly about the joy of a written letter!! :-)

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  7. Boy did I need this today. I was just thinking that I have been so remiss about keeping in touch with friends this summer and twitter and facebook friends lately. I have been so slammed with work that I have let the laughter and communication lapse. And with only 1 computer in the house letter writing does seem like a viable option :-)

    I still send letters, still buy stationary and cards. People laugh at me but i love it. I remember going to Hallmark and just browsing all the beautiful paper things too. I still send thank you cards or notes for gifts. I have taught my children to do that too. The Grandmas and Grandpas love getting the letters from the kids. It's a lost art, so to speak, don't ya think. They arn't even teaching kids the structure of writing letters in school anymore. Sad really.

    So, thank you for this blog post. Made me think! Hope your day is fun and relaxing :-)

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  8. Maritime, I agree!It is moving in the direction of becoming a lost art, writing letters. But if those of us with some 'brought-upsy' (respect for how we were raised) keep teaching others the good things we learned, it won't be lost!! And as long as there's a Hallmark Store in my vicinity somebody somewhere is going to get a card or letter that shows how much I 'care to send the very best!' ^_^

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  9. I love getting a real letter in the mail! I have notes and cards from my Grandma that I treasure. Now I have the urge to go write someone, somewhere a letter with pretty stationary...Thanks!

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  10. yaya, Good! Get-to-writing!!! ^_^ You're going to make somebody really happy!!

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  11. Anonymous9/06/2010

    Great post! Something about letter writing is so sincere and thoughtful. Next time you're in the letter writing mood, you should check out The Things Unsaid Project (www.thingsunsaidproject.wordpress.com). Unique project with letter writing at its core.

    Tina

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  12. Thanks for the info Tina!

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  13. Rare. That's what makes it all the more good. Excellent poem - much appreciated.

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  14. Seasons, Thank you! Sorry it took me so long to say so.

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