A letter, a lost art

There used to be a reason to go to the mailbox...it was called personal mail. 

I used to love going to open the metal box and see hand written envelopes, letters from best friends, cards from family, sweet letter messages with day to day messages.

Now, i dread going to the box, because it is always bills, bills, more bills and oh yeah, a few more political ads.

Facebook, email, and texting have taken the place of the handwritten note.  I am guilty, i admit it, i often post a small note, or send a message on facebook to let someone know i am thinking of them...but something is missing.
 

I used to sit down and write out birthday and anniversary cards at the beginning of each month...somewhere down the line, that hobby has gotten swept away by chores, jobs, raising kids, working too many hours, and so many other things.

I used to make dozens and dozens of cards, stamping hours away, loving every minute of it.  When i used to have a rare day off, i would spread my stamps out and have a ball.   Friends would come over, we would share our stuff and we would just laugh, drink tea and stamp all day.  Then i would happily send the cards out to friends and family, little notes of love, smack a stamp on it and dump letters upon letters in the post box.

I just finished writing a letter to an uncle in Holland.  He is a lovely man, always remembers to send cards to my kids with 5 euro inside, and i remember him as a man who used to stare at his wife, my Tante Diny, with an expression of "How did i get so lucky to marry this beautiful woman?"   I admit, my dutch is rusty, but i did my best to write him a few paragraphs about how my family is spending the summer, and i know he will appreciate i took time to write him.

Before that, i wrote a friend who doesn't have email or text...only letters work.

And it felt nice.  It was a good feeling knowing that when those two gentlemen went in their post box, there would be a nice colored envelope, handwritten, a Harry Potter Stamp in the corner, my little Promise Walk name label on the left. 

My son is required to write Thank You notes today, to thank friends and family who remembered his 14th birthday.  He knows he is required to write the cards, not email messages and used to ask me why.....and i told him those people took the time to think of you, can't you take the time to thank them?

When my mother died, several people gave me letters she had written to them.  My mothers impossible to read handwritten notes about what was going on in her life...sadly i lost them all in the fire, but those letters meant a lot to me. 

Now a days, would i have gotten printed out letters from email?   Or forwarded texts she had sent?

It's sad really...letters can lift the spirits of those who are down.   They can lift spirits when someone feels alone, bring happiness for a birthday, a small moment of peace in a sympathy card, a smile in a get well card, and heart jump in a congratulations card.

I just pulled out my box of cards, and will go to the post office this afternoon to get more stamps, and am vowing to myself to get back to the art of writing letters.  I can't promise everyone who reads this will get one anytime soon, but it is time to get back to letting people know i am thinking of them by taking the time to sit and write a letter instead of taking the easy way and shooting off a text.

Oh, i will still text, i enjoy my little chats with friends - but i will also take the time to share a few memories with friends using pretty paper with flowers and Harry Potter Stamps.

I love you.