Our 9 year old checks our mail every afternoon. He gives me a summary of the mail contents when he walks into the house. If there happens to be something other than the normal advertisements, magazines, or bills, Caden’s interest is peaked and if there is a letter from a cousin or a friend addressed to Caden, then it is a very good day, indeed.
Caden has a big heart and finds comfort in connections with others. At 9, he reminds me that A Written Word Really Does Matter.
This Fall I’m participating in a Bible study on Paul’s letter to the church at Rome. As I thought about Paul’s letters, both his prolific writing and purpose, I began to think about letter writing in my life specifically.
When I was 8, I spent a summer with my Aunt Sharon. She introduced me to swimming, soap operas, Six Flags, and the dreaded monthly “cycle” that summer. I also watched with interest as she wrote and received letters from loved ones.
When I was engaged to be married, my grandmother gave me an old, well-used book called Letters to Karen. The book is a collection of letters a dad wrote his daughter in the months before her wedding. My grandmother highlighted beautiful bits of wisdom and wrote short notes to me in the margins. I’m so glad she took time from her busy life to sit and record her thoughts for me.
Long before texting from my smart phone at whim was an option, I wrote letters fairly often to my sisters. We were all newly married and having our children and I found myself sitting at home more often than I do now. In the years that have followed, I’ve received some of the most precious cards from my sisters by post. Their notes are always such an encouragement to me. They “fill my sails” for weeks!
As I’ve considered why I fail to write letters much anymore, I’ve circled back, yet again, to how busy we tend to be. I hate that I’m often even tardy in mailing off “thank you” cards.
I’m going to change that!
Last week I made a list of people I want to write. I want to do more than send a hurried 2 sentence text or Facebook message. I want each person on my list to know that I think about them often and pray for them. The list of names is long and varied; people who are hurting, people I’ve lost contact with, extended family that is so dear to me, and thank yous from our summer travel that I’ve failed to send.
Not long ago the person ahead of me paid for my coffee at McDonalds (because there is not a Starbucks in my hometown). It was easy to pass that on and pay for the car behind me. I loved participating in the “bless a stranger, buy their coffee” movement. My hope is that I’m diligent in my letter writing in the months to come. I pray my written word hits the spot like an unexpected gift of coffee in the drive through.
Do you (or your children) still receive letters from a letter-writing loved one? How do you keep the art of letter writing alive in your family?
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