Thursday, November 25, 2010
I've been cleaning out our guest room (for quite a while, who knew I was such a clutter bug???). Our family is going to host Steffy, the Rotary exchange student from Ecuador for a couple of months, so we are making room. Going through the room has been a trip down memory lane for me. I found hundreds of cards and letters that were written to me in the 80's and 90's. My 2000's stuff is all organized because I have kept journals for my daughter and glued everything into a book that is sentimental to me. I saved the 80's and 90's stuff in big manila envelopes... thinking I would do something with them some day. Many of the cards were handmade and each one is a piece of art.
During the cleaning adventure I found well over 50 cards, notes and postcards from my friend Myra who is always so good at popping something in the mail on special occasions, to thank me, and when she is travelling. I re-lived some of her adventures in Japan, Bali, France, England, various places in British Columbia, New York City, Tobermory, Quebec etc etc. She congratulated me when I started teaching yoga, when I spoke at an international camping conference and she sent cards of sympathy when there was a death in the family. She has always taken the time to write and she continues to do that even today. Many of the cards she had made herself and every one is different. The amazing thing about Myra is that she is someone who I see on a fairly regular basis and yet she still always takes the time to send something special.
As I looked through all the cards I remembered how good it feels to get something in the mail and it is something I want to teach my daughter. She has a couple of "email" pen pals which is great, but there is something about the act of writing a personal note that is different. Handwritten notes help us pause, reflect and really take the time to think about the
person we are communicating with.
I'm always busy in December with lots of Christmas activities. I am making a resolution to send out a few handwritten notes and cards to my friends who are or are not on facebook! Happy Christmas card writing everyone!
Comments