The other week while talking to Michael’s aunt, she commented on how many birthday cards she received. This is a funny thing, because last year I received maybe one or two. Is it because I have no friends? On the contrary. In fact, I have many friends, but I think as a generation, we’ve lost touch with the written letter.
{a sampling of our letters over a span of 3 years}
Think about all that we know of our history from the written word in the form of letters between our forefathers! Now imagine what it would be like if they had texted or emailed that same information? Would they have printed off hard copies? Probably not. I’m not saying that modern forms of communication are to be dismissed, I just think that there are so many personal feelings and emotions conveyed in letters.
{the love box filled with hundreds of written treasure between michael and i when he was away at college and i in highschool}
{just a sampling of michaels homemade cards to me}
I love reading antiquated papers and letters. To read simple things like, “I drove to see Aunt Bessie on Thursday and she sends her love.” Or “It’s been raining for several days here and I don’t know when I’ll be able to get the corn planted.” Even though it doesn’t seem like important information, it was important enough to someone to convey it to want to share it with you. That’s a good feeling.
When someone you love says I love you, that feels good, right? Now, how does it feel when you see that they took the time to write it on a piece of paper? Heavenly!
Sending a letter is the next best thing to showing up at somebody’s door. When Michael was in college and I, 16, we would write letter upon letter confessing love, admiration, and pains (his mother passed from cancer during this period). Over and over again, we’d read them. These are things that you can not Facebook about. All of the letters are now safely tucked away in my attic in the “Love Box” and someday, my children will take the faded and yellowed pieces out and pour through them, transporting them to another time and place as they feel the paper and see our handwriting. This is Something that an email can not parallel.
{all these goodies stuffed into one envelope}
Miss Faye. Now she was a writer. Miss Faye was a dear, kind lady at church who sat in front of us every week with her hair tightly pulled under her covering. She always took time to hug and give my children candies, but there was something very special about Miss Faye. Actually, two to be exact. One, she was a mighty prayer warrior and two, she was a letter writer. You always knew when a letter from Miss Faye was in your mailbox. It was usually a pretty piece or three of paper with verses, poems, notes and pictures all over it. If she ran out of space, it went up the side and around. So much writing and love went into those special letters. Miss Faye passed away this past December and at her service, the pastor said that there was a stack of Christmas cards that Miss Faye was working on and that the family was going to go ahead and mail them out. She will be greatly missed by our family.
{one of many homemade cards from michael..this was a picture of us that he drew when I was 16 and he 19}
{pictures tucked inside envelopes}
Have a wonderful weekend all!
~Rebecca
