Please, Mr. Postman!

Soundtrack. . .

 

In times gone by, before email and instant messaging and Facebook and texts, I used to love writing letters.  I always had a stock of cards and stationery and stamps at hand.  I kept my address book up to date.  I sent birthday cards and Valentines and long letters.  I looked forward to the mail arriving every day.

When I was 12, my family moved across the country.  I kept up a healthy letter-writing relationship with my cousins and Grandparents and childhood friends for years.  When I went to summer camp, I wrote to my parents every day.  When I went away to college, I sent letters and cards to my friends on other campuses and to my family back home. 

Tom and I went to college in different states.  We wrote to each other nearly every day!  It's hard to imagine the lack of correspondence "options" back then!  No cell phones.  No computers.  No Facebook.  No texting.  Just letters.  (And the occasional, expensive Long Distance Phone Call!)  So we wrote.  I had boxes and boxes of his letters and cards, but eventually, I just pulled out The Very Best Ones to save.  Here's a little sample.

(I have a couple stacks of his letters, still.)  (And he has mine.)

But I rarely write letters any more. 

So when I heard about the Month of Letters challenge, I signed up right away!

I'm really excited to return to a slower, handwritten style of correspondence.  (At least, for a little while!)

I dug out my notecards, gathered some greeting cards, and bought new stamps (roses!).  I updated my address book and located some festive return address labels (compliments of the Susan G. Komen Foundation, I believe).  I used the Month of Letters calendar to plan (at least initially) my letter writing strategy.

And so it begins! 

Oh, Mr. Postman. . . deliver the letter. . . the sooner the better!

 

 

Comments

[Marilyn]

This is such a good idea! It's so much fun when the mail has something "good" in it instead of just bills and advertising.

[margene]

I should have known you'd be far better organized than I. It's going to be so much fun to write, read and receive notes and letters for a full month.

[Jane]

I'm on my way to the PO right now!

[Cynthia]

I had committed to the idea of 'real writing' (and isn't that a sad comment on the state of affairs today!) each month. I am going to do it. We sent out a bunch of handmade cards for Christmas and it was really nice. It is time to revive this!

[Diana Troldahl]

I used to write letters, especially when I lived in Japan. Lately handwriting has become difficult because of arthritis if I try for too long, and my penmanship was never the best to begin with, but thanks to Dr. Grip pens, I can still jot notes! I would miss it, there is just something about pen or pencil and paper that satisfies :-)
I even love the smell of the ink.

[Carole]

I think this is a wonderful idea and, while I may not participate every day, I intend to write some letters, too. I will definitely write back to anyone who writes to me!

[Cookie]

How wonderful! Email just doesn't have the same feel as real mail. I love that you and Tom have stacks of letters.

[Sharon]

I love to write letters...it started a million years ago with pen pals and has continued throughout my life. Look for a letter from me in your mailbox Kym :)

[Brenda]

What a cool thing! I was never a good letter writer, perhaps because I was always writing to people much older than myself. I have a very small family, and my family stayed put in the same town. Now it is emails, which I like for the ability to edit. I NEED to be able to edit.

[Mary]

thanks for telling me about this- I'm not much for writing letters, but I love dropping a quick line or two on a note or postcard.