I grew up writing letters. The old-fashioned way.
Sometimes I’d pen long, drawn out missives on pretty stationery, and when that ran out, I’d use notebook paper decorated with magic markers, pencils, or crayons.
Personal computers were unheard of, and of course, e-mail wasn’t even on the radar yet.
In many ways life was more of a challenge then. It took deliberate effort to communicate. If we wanted to touch base with friends and loved ones, we’d hunker down at our favorite writing spot and dedicate several moments to the task at hand: letter writing.
Jotting down our current status and recent life events took time. For those of us creative souls who truly yearned to be heard, letter writing was an art—one way we could express our heartfelt sentiments to our intended recipient. We didn’t resent the act. It was a treat to share a bit of our world with those we cared about.
Maybe it was the writer in me, but I loved those days of floral-scented stationery, matching envelopes, and fancy pens. (I’m guessing that the postal system loved those days, too.)
When my father’s job transfer led our family to a new town, the move gave me ample reason to pull out paper and pen. I’d just started 6th grade at that point and had to leave all my classmates and close friends behind. And of course, more importantly, the move meant we were farther away from my Nana and cousins, too.
Being from a close-knit family, that was indeed a life-changing experience for me. It was hard enough to be uprooted from everything familiar, but living several hours away from my beloved grandmother and the cousins I’d grown up with was especially difficult. I knew it wasn’t easy on my parents either so I was determined to make the best of the situation.
I wrote letters. Tons.
In those letters, I told my Nana everything. I told her how I was doing in school, what my favorite subjects were, and how I was adjusting to my new home. I told her I miss you, Nana. I told her I love you.
I passed on snippets of trivia I knew Nana would find interesting, too. I shared what the fellowship dinners at church were like and which ladies brought the best pies. I regaled her with tales from town. I told her about our eccentric next-door neighbor and how there always seemed to be odd goings-on at her house all hours of the day and night. Again I told her I miss you, Nana. I love you.
Though we visited Nana and my cousins at holidays and other times, the visits never seemed long enough and I continued writing those letters. As always, after my signature, I concluded with a P.S. I miss you, Nana. I love you.
I wrote Nana throughout college, and afterward, as a newlywed. Later, I wrote her as new mother.
As I matured, so did my letters. I still “talked” with Nana in my letters as if we were sitting down chatting over coffee, but in a more grown-up fashion. I told her about new recipes I’d tried, books I’d read, and stories I’d written. I shared secrets and heart’s desires. And as usual, I told her I miss you, Nana. I love you.
One day after my grandmother passed away I received a thick, brown manilla envelope from my aunt. The contents caused my heart to skip a beat.
I never would have guessed. Over the years, Nana had kept all the letters I’d sent her!
Those heartfelt, handwritten missives that I’d so meticulously penned to my beloved Nana had obviously held great importance.
It was an epiphany for me.
I’d learned the power.
I’d hugged her with my words.
******
Do you ever write letters the old-fashioned way?
Regarding ways we communicate, how do you feel we can best make an impact on someone?
Photo credit: Simon Howdon/FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
Comments 9
Like you, Cynthia, I wrote oodles of letters by hand, pouring out my heart on the page as I shared my life experiences with dear friends. It’s sad, but once I begin writing books, my time for penning letters evaporated. I miss those days but I enjoy the new life I’m living.
Author
Keli: Life never stays the same, does it? I miss those days of yesteryear, too, but as you indicated, living life in the “now” is pretty exciting.
Loree: I still handwrite “thank you” notes and send cards to friends and loved ones, but for most correspondence, it’s just easier to email. It’s so touching that you and your husband write each other letters.
Beautiful story. Thank you for sharing it.
I wrote letters the old fashioned way too. I still will hand write my hubby a letter, and he does the same.
I had the same experience with stories that I had written throughout my school years. My mom had saved every story from 1st grade. I found them after she passed away. She always told me to write.
How precious! Thank you for sharing such
a sweet story. My daughter just asked to
write her first letter this morning. Since
she can’t read yet, this was a bit of a
challenge, but after about an hour her
three sentence letter to one of her friends
was complete. 🙂
Author
Tanya, it sounds like you may have a budding author on your hands. And what a little trouper for working so hard on her first letter!
You brought tears to my eyes! When my grandma went into a nursing home, I found a stack of small papers full of my “orders”. As a child, on Sundays, I’d spend the afternoon with her and play restaurant. She kept all of them, I miss her so! And I wrote many letters to friends I made at camp. They carried us over till the next summer!
Author
What wonderful memories, Jess! I have a confession: I have oodles of old letters and cards saved in plastic storage containers. They mean so much, especially now that my Nana is in Heaven and others have joined her there.
I rarely write letters by hand. What’s the point if no one can read the writing? lol I like a nice font, though, and prefer to type them. I intend to write to my grandchildren more this year to keep them in touch with our day-to-day life. To answer your second question, I like to send a handmade card to convey my thoughts. Others, like yourself, might write a book. 🙂
Author
Patti, handmade cards are my favorite! And I know you touch many lives through your thoughtfulness.