Love letters

When was the last time you wrote a love letter? 
The craft of writing your feelings out and following through on the delivery of your inner most thoughts is a dwindling practice. Folks don’t rush to their mailboxes hoping to find their names on an addressed envelope these days. One hundred years from now nobody will stumble across a treasure trove of letters that their grandparents wrote between one another- the future generations may never know how and why a couple stayed together over struggle or shared their fears…heartbreaking.

I’ve come to realize that most of my prized possessions are heartfelt words. I still have a few cards from years gone by, but mostly I love the messages that are thought out by the sender themself.  Sometimes Hallmark just doesn’t hit the mark. 

Thinking back, this love has evolved over a long period of time. As a child, my sister and I would walk to the local Hallmark store, we would spend forever looking at all the stationary sets, Snoopy, Holly Hobby, flowers, hearts, stars… they were endless. On one trip we bought ourselves wax sticks that you could light and let the wax drip onto your envelope – the wax sticks came with a metal seal and we could choose our design. We literally wrote letters to everyone we had know back in Illinois just to use these sticks. My love of letter writing was born. 
I kept in touch with friends who I had moved away from (dig deep and think back pre home computer, pre Internet) I’ve had friendships that have lasted my entire life because of the written word. It was just how you stayed in touch back then, and I’ve never really changed my ways.

 Later in life, my husband, then fiancé would write letters from boot camp, and I had vowed to write him every day. I believe I actually did- sometimes more than once. The letters I got from him still sit in my bedroom almost thirty five years later. They are in the same shoe box that they’ve always been in. I’m a sucker for nostalgia remember! 
I suppose I should go through them and put a few in frames- it might be fun to see them out. 

I have three framed letters on display at my house, one was written to my Mom from my husbands great Aunt. Nothing particularly “special” about it which to me makes it priceless. Her mention of my kids who ADORED her and she them. I found a way to fancy it up a bit years ago and framed it. My daughter was almost four, she’s now twenty seven. The test of time.  

Another is a typewritten letter from my sister in law who reached out to me awhile after my mom passed away. She sent me a beautiful note about God noticing the tears we shed and sent along a glass bottle. Since  the arrival of my Grandbabies the bottle has been put up, but the letter remains framed in my dining room.  

Last but certainly not least, a note my mom sent me during her cancer struggle. She was a strong, private woman who always told you how much she loved you, and now that she’s not here I get to see this framed message every day and be reminded of her love. 

I must say, I’m pretty dang good at reaching out. I love to send my Grandkids letters and I still write my husband letters. Sometimes silly ones that I’ll pin up in the medicine cabinet…sometimes serious ones about life and it’s struggles. These will someday be part of our story. 
So, in my pursuit of a passion filled life I’m reminded that it matters. It matters that the mailbox is sometimes filled with love~ not just bills. It matters that when someone is having a hard day you took the time to write an encouraging note. It matters that others feel your love for them in this moment in time when feelings are usually only electronically expressed. 
Generations from now your Great Grandkids will not be seeing your IM or your Snapchat. They will not know that you had triumphs and troubles that you reached out about.  They won’t know that the Grandma with the white hair and strict rules was once a romantic who dreamed of running away and living with Papa in a cabin by a stream and that he liked that idea too.      

  Let them find that out, give them something to discover. 
Today my friend, in an effort to stay connected and to show your love for your family do yourself and them a favor…Write a love letter.

Till next time- Erin