"Let's Always Write Long Letters To Each Other"
..... although I love the fast response of email...........I agreed with my dear friend,......
and every month, or whenever the mood struck..........for years................I would write a long letter to her, describing my day, my life, my world..........the news of children growing too quickly, of ideas and dreams ,of happiness and tears, ....often placing a pressed flower or leaf from the gardens.........sometimes a feather, dropped from a wild bird, flying in the woods........... between the pages and then sealing and finding the right stamp ...........and then dropping it into the mail box........
waiting anxiously for a thick stuffed envelope the following week, in response from her.
I remember the day her daughter called to tell me that she was suddenly gone...........
no more anxious waiting and checking in the mail box.........
no more letters to write.
It's been years since she has passed..............I still have letters that she had once sent........ full and fat,
with words of new job offers, romance and marriages happening, grand babies on the way, the death of a husband, a promise to come visit soon.......... and flower petals from a brilliant colored rose that once bloomed in her garden.
Now I am not anxious to wait for the mail.........for a bill, or advertisement.
My old weathered mail box , that was once used before having to chose a post office box.........
seems as lonely as I do for just one more letter.
I place some of my garden flowers inside of it to cheer us both up.
How about you? Do you still love pretty stationary and writing pens? Do you have someone to write long letters to ? Or does your busy schedule lure you to email for fast response?
I would love to hear.
13 comments:
I love your pictures this morning. No, I don't have anyone left who writes real letters. I have saved little scraps with notes from my kids and grandkids and pasted them in my recipe book. I have a hat box full of letters from my people who wrote me letters and I wouldn't take anything for them. At the time I didn't realize how much they would mean to me. Have a beautiful day!
I don't really exchange letters with anyone anymore either. It is a lost art, I'm afraid. Your photos are lovely today. Hope you have a nice weekend!
Very nice thoughts (and pictures)! I remember the letters my mom used to write me when I first married and moved away. (She died at the age of 52 in a car accident so I didn't get too many to cherish!) She used to tell me what she paid per lb. for hamburger and other bargains she would find. Too bad I didn't save those letters!
But I have one sister that enjoys "snail mail" and we write every week to each other (plus emails) and have for decades. Andrea
Nope, no letter writing here anymore. I do like to buy cards to send though for no reason at all.
Your mailbox and flowers are so cute. :)
That is so true..I have a letter from my Dad from about 35 years ago and I still like to read it once in a while but does make me kind of sad..If only we could turn back time even if was for a few days.
I still enjoy getting cards from my kids and friends and have a huge box full and wonder what my kids will do with them after I am gone. At least they will be able to see how much they meant to me and how I kept all of them for so many years
Oh yes-I do love real letters! I may have told you before, but I have a box full of letters my great-grandparents wrote to each other before they got married. These letters date to the late 1880's if I remember right. The paper is so different-it feels different. Pens were dip pens back then of course. I transcribed them all in the proper order and made copies for my Mom and brother. Perhaps someday real letters will be museum pieces. Maybe I'll do a blog post about my great-grandparent's letters...
Such a sweet post! I had such a cousin "penpal" for years. We wrote tomes to each other, but time moved on and she grew weary of the longer letters and I developed arthritis and could no longer write more than a note. But she saved every one we wrote, copying her own, and placing it in a notebook with my answer next to it. In fact, she says there are about eight of those notebooks! :-) I told her I'd love to have copies of it all. It represents a big portion of my adult life. How sad you lost your friend. The letters you have I know are treasures. Loved your beautiful photos too!
This was a beautiful post, Kathleen! I was remembering, just recently, the pretty stationery we used to give as gifts, and wondered if one could still buy those special papers. I don't really have many friends to write to, on paper, or email.
The old mailbox is perfect for your beautiful flowers. Love it!!!
Thanks you this sweet post about what seems to have become the lost art of letter writing. Yes, I still send what's called snail-mail and whike these may not be long letters, as they once were, I always send cards with a note attached and often photos, clippings, sometimes wven a paperback. If I learn that someone likes to read, I will search the thrift stores for books I hope they will enjoy and mail them at greater cost than the purchase price...but that is not important at all. It's the happiness given when someone opens their mailbox to find something other than a circular, bill, or ad. I also still send out holiday cards and have no plans to stop even though many complain about the costs ofmpostage and cards and then the time factor too. No matter to me as I start early and write a few each day starting in late Nov. and I don't bother with who has or hasn't sent a card before.
So, please let me know, if you would like a handwritten letter or card and it will find its way to you. Years ago before email and social media, I had pen pals worldwide and I do miss the exchanges. You can contact me at my email address and if you provide an address, I will write back.
What a touching post, Kathleen. No, I seldom write letters any more. No one seems to have time or desire to correspond. We've lost that, and it's sad.
I love writing letters, but most of the people I used to write letters to died many years ago. I have one dear sis-in-law who writes beautiful letters though. Carefully written on exquisite paper, addressed perfectly. The letters I receive from her are cherished, but I confess my letters back to her are not anywhere so well written , but she seems to enjoy the letters anyway.
I have begun a pen-pal relationship with my two youngest granddaughters. They tell me they can't wait to get my letters in their mail box and I am discovering new things about my sweet granddaughters since we've begun writing to each other.
Your post was sweet and sad, your mailbox is lovely though !
When I was little, I used to write letters to my friends during holidays.It was fun waiting for the postman to deliver their replies.Children nowadays do not even know how to write letters.
Hi Kathleen, I visit your blog as my time allows, it has been several months since I last visited, but I am encouraged each time. This particular post made me a bit weepy, as to how letter writing is seemingly going by the wayside. But I feel it does not have too if ones who desire to keep it alive continue to do it. I have only a few older friends that I write too, as they do not use computers. Back in the day, I did have many others, but as Fb and other faster ways came along, they told me if I did not get on board, that I most likely would not hear from them as they did not care to write anymore with the new 'technology'. So, I do not hear of them. But, I am determined to not get caught up with all the new. I so deeply love the old ways.
Thank you for your sharings, so much in each.
In Joy,
Vivian King TN
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