Has anyone written you a letter lately?
Not a short blunt little email without even a greeting.
A REAL letter.
The kind they used to write, back when people took the time
to actually communicate.
When they took the time to think.
And to choose their words with loving care.
Have you received one of those treasures in the recent past?
Ah…and have you written one?
.
No on both counts?
Pity!
Finding a letter in your mailbox is one of the great pleasures of life!
And it’s not that hard to make it happen.
Are you willing?
Let’s DO this!
Two boxes of letters
As far as letters, I feel very rich.
I have not only kept most of the letters I’ve received from friends and family,
but I’ve managed to keep for many decades two very special boxes.
One box holds the letters from my first boyfriend.
He lived in Dallas and I lived near Cleveland,
but we spent our summers together in upstate New York.
It was an innocent but real love.
We were 14 when we met, and our correspondence lasted three years.
We wrote to each other every week. O the joy of finding his letter in my mailbox!
The other box (actually a suitcase) is full of letters from my mother, who died in 1988.
We wrote to each other every week for years while my children were little.
A few days ago, I brought them from my storage unit and I am gathering my courage
to open the suitcase and read them for the first time.
I am so thankful I have come to a time in my life when I can bear
to read her loving words again.
She loved me deeply and sent me continuous encouragement through all my years
of raising my babies and going to university.
Four ways to receive a letter
In case you are wondering how in the world you are going to find a letter
in your mailbox, let me offer you a few ideas:
- 1. Write a letter and mail it to your Grandmother and/or Grandfather,
(ideally one to each) telling them something about them you admire.
They will be so touched and delighted, they will write you right back!
Correspond with them while they are still well and strong.
You will treasure their letters long after they are gone. - 2. Write a letter to your Mom and/or Dad, thanking them
for some important way they have raised you or strengthened you.
Tuck it in an envelope and hand it to them at the dinner table after you eat.
They will be astonished, and feel honored.
Ask them for a letter in reply.
You will be moved by the beauty of it, and you will keep it always.
- 3. Write a letter to your brother or sister, apologizing for some way
you hurt or neglected them.
They will pass out!
Ask them to write you a few ideas of things you can do together.
Their ideas can be a bridge to building a better relationship. - 4. Think more deeply when you write an email to a friend or family member.
Make it more like a real letter, not just some quick exchange of information.
See if you can make them glad to receive real communication from you.
You just might begin to receive real communication in response!
And…
5. Why not sign up to be on my mailing list?
You will receive a letter from me—kinda like this one–every Friday!
I write on a new topic every week.
Just go here to sign up, if you haven’t already!
I also write letters to all my friends and family.
Don’t think I’ll ever stop.
I hope they will keep them all.
Letters are truly precious.
When you write someone a real letter,
you are sharing your soul with them.
They can feel it.
They really know YOU are there.
They really know you love them.
QUESTION:
Who do you think would be the happiest person of all
to receive a letter from you?
I hope you will write and tell me!
Then write them 🙂
Dr. Hall