01/26/2012
I love cards and letters, clearly. But a major part of that is the fun I have from checking the mail and finding a handwritten note from someone I care about. After receiving Christmas cards, some very sweetly hand-written thank you notes, and a lovely book on writing letters, I decided I was tired of only hearing from my friends at momentous occasions or holidays and only hearing from my sister through facebook posts. So my sister and I made a pact, we would try to mail each other a note twice a week. (I tried for every day, but she pointed out that was slightly un-realistic.) As I started writing her, I also wrote notes to friends and family who I thought would appreciate snail mail. At first, facing the blank card was intimidating. What do I write? Nothing exciting happens to me. But the book I got suggested that letter writing is really a selfish act. How often do we get to talk to someone about ourselves without fear of interruption? I'm not yet at the point where I can fill a page about myself, but I wanted to catch up with my friends, so I asked them what they were up to, how their personal lives were, and I put in a little about what I was up to. I added stickers I thought they would like (something my aunt Suzanne does for birthday cards that I just love!) and I found myself filling pages and pages. In addition to wondering what to write, I was also worried about time. How long does it take to write a card? After the first few, which, admittedly, took a little longer, I found I could write a card or a 2 page letter (not typed) in less than 10 minutes. More importantly, I started getting cards and letters back! I now check the mail every day and many a dreary or rotten day has been flipped upside down by seeing a hand addressed colorful envelope in that little box. I save them until I think I can read them without interruption and reply right away. A few people have emailed me responses, which is understandable in the hustle and bustle of today's world, but I still respond via snail mail. One of the problems I face with email is that it's almost too instantaneous for keeping in touch. Friends and I would email back and forth a few times, and then there would be less and less to talk about. Somehow the mundane things that fit in a letter seem silly in an email, so we lose touch, only to repeat the entire scenario with the next major event. Of course, if I have super exciting news or want to check that someone is okay, I choose email. But to have a conversation, a letter seems more appropriate. If I mail a letter on Monday, my recipient will probably find it in their mailbox on Wednesday, and if they write back right away they will mail their letter on Thursday, so I should receive their response on Saturday, and then repeat the whole cycle! Plenty happens in a single week that deserves to be shared. What book are you reading? Did you watch a movie? See a favorite tv show? What made you laugh? Did you cook something special? Or go out to dinner? Did you go shopping and buy something fabulous? Do you love the stationery or stamp I used on my last letter to you? Did you hear something or see something that made you think of times gone by? What about the weather? Is it snowing? Hailing? How is your pet? What are you currently working on? (Hobby or job-wise.) Have you just come back from a trip? Are you about to take a trip? Sometimes, I just write a postcard. Beyond being mementos of trips and travel, there are all sorts of amazing postcards that have nothing to do with landmarks or skylines. I don't have to be away from home to write "Miss you!
