Easter Greetings Bring Joy I’m going to suggest doing something that for most of us may seem quite radical. While there is still time, run out and buy a bunch of Easter cards, write a personal note inside, put a stamp on the envelope and actually mail it to someone.
You will need a pen. That’s the stick-like thing with a point on the end. When you drag it across a piece of paper, it makes a mark. You will also need stamps (the little square things that go on the upper corner of envelopes), which can be purchased at most grocery stores.
In this age of electronics, the art of letter writing is almost forgotten. But nothing can be compared to the joy and pleasure of finding a real letter or card in your mailbox. Take the time to go through your address book and make a list of all the people who would enjoy receiving a card, and bless them with a wonderful surprise this Easter.
I’m headed off to the Dollar Store to replenish my stash of cards and tomorrow after Mass I will make some tea, hunker down at the dining room table and make out my cards. Some will have a separate letter folded up inside and some, like for people I see often, will just have a note telling them how much they are appreciated.
If you are like so many people today who don’t often receive handwritten notes or letters, send me your address and I will send you a card with a personal note.
Thanks to Main Street Pens for the picture of the beautiful pen. Ron Zorn and his beautiful wife Robyn did some work on my Mom’s old Sheaffer fountain pen. They have some lovely pens for sale (I have my eye on another Sheaffer), if you like the idea of having a quality fountain pen. For inspiration, you can’t do any better than Alexandra Stoddard’s book; Gift of a Letter: Giving the Gift of Ourselves-- Add Richness and Grace to Your Life Through the Art of Letter Writing.
You will need a pen. That’s the stick-like thing with a point on the end. When you drag it across a piece of paper, it makes a mark. You will also need stamps (the little square things that go on the upper corner of envelopes), which can be purchased at most grocery stores.
In this age of electronics, the art of letter writing is almost forgotten. But nothing can be compared to the joy and pleasure of finding a real letter or card in your mailbox. Take the time to go through your address book and make a list of all the people who would enjoy receiving a card, and bless them with a wonderful surprise this Easter.
I’m headed off to the Dollar Store to replenish my stash of cards and tomorrow after Mass I will make some tea, hunker down at the dining room table and make out my cards. Some will have a separate letter folded up inside and some, like for people I see often, will just have a note telling them how much they are appreciated.
If you are like so many people today who don’t often receive handwritten notes or letters, send me your address and I will send you a card with a personal note.
Thanks to Main Street Pens for the picture of the beautiful pen. Ron Zorn and his beautiful wife Robyn did some work on my Mom’s old Sheaffer fountain pen. They have some lovely pens for sale (I have my eye on another Sheaffer), if you like the idea of having a quality fountain pen. For inspiration, you can’t do any better than Alexandra Stoddard’s book; Gift of a Letter: Giving the Gift of Ourselves-- Add Richness and Grace to Your Life Through the Art of Letter Writing.
Don’t forget to vote for me (please, please, please) in the Catholic Blog Awards – please!
10 comments:
Adrienne, I always write handwritten Easter cards. I write and send them to my fellow bloggers too! If you'd like me to send you one I'm doing my last post for overseas on Monday morning so let me know if you want me to send you one :-)
email me at dashere4u AT (@) yahoo.co.uk
ukok - info on the way. How exciting!!
I'm horrible with writing cards. I was thinking of it today, though, to send some out. Of course it's going to be a horribly busy week so if I do buy some cards, and even write them..well, I need the new 3c stamps in order to send them, along with the bills I haven't paid. And never mind my homework which isn't done yet.
I'm awful. One of these days I'll take your advice because I love getting cards and handwritten notes. And you're right...it's an art that has gone into disuse.
A few years ago I wrote a story about a soldier who was WRITING letters home to his family, to be sent when he was somewhere possible to send them.
The story was posted on a writing website, and the reviewers shredded that very idea...because NO ONE writes letters anymore, even soldiers stuck in the Afghan desert...because they can just email or make morale calls home.
You would think that WRITERS would understand the need to continue with tradition that goes back centuries.
Apparently not.
But I digress. Thanks for "listening".
Maybe I should write you a letter instead of comment electronically....
:-)
Oops, totally forgot to say...my first year I wasn't even CLOSE to being nominated for the awards. A nomination ALONE is a huge deal!
Especially when you consider the THOUSANDS of Catholic blogs, and the relatively small number of nominees...and you see how many are repetetive in several categories.
Congratulations...even if you don't win your categories, you have already won! Most never get even this far.
God bless you and keep writing...what you are doing is getting results and souls are being saved.
I agree. An email note doesn't say the same way as a handwritten card.
Don't mean to digress, but these electronic books that you down load using Amazon's Kindle - which is similar to an oversized PDA - I find reprehensible.
Tom -- no, no, no!! The Kindle is the greatest. I want you to get me one for Christmas.
It will never replace a book, but I go nutcakes if I don't have something to read at all times. I could load that thing up with a ton of books and have it in my purse for emergencies.
Now I have to carry 3 or 4 books with me at all times (never know what mood you'll be in)
Adoro - imagine blogging if we all had to write our comments out and mail them. LOL
Ok - here's how this ADD person copes with all the issues you mentioned. I have a really neat basket that's like a little trunk (think Pier 1) I made dividers by cutting up file folders and labled them for the different card categories.
I buy most of my cards at the Dollar Store (2 for a dollar) and when a holiday comes around I buy mega extra for the next year. In particular the ones for relatives if they have enough selection.
Then I pick out all the other cards I might need (Get Well, Wedding, Baby, etc) and buy some of each. They are filed in my cute box and ready to go.
Now the Post Office and stamp thing my husband handles. I was in my late 20's and my Mom was still having to mail my bills 'cause I would make out my checks, stick them in the envelopes, stuff them in my purse and that's as far as they went.
My husband's business was all by mail instead of internet when we met so he was always going to the Post Office. Bingo - perfect husband for me. You'll have to come up with your own coping skills for that part. I know ---- you can order your stamps online from the USPS. Kewl!
Adrienne you have traumatized this old man. I just went to Catholic Blog Awards to vote. The number of my favorites was overwhelming! How to choose??? But I did make choices
and you were among them:-)
Regarding letters and notes, Edgar Guest wrote a beautiful poem decades ago entitled "Old Fashioned Letters".
He lam3ented the same things then that we are still lamenting today. If you like I will post it for you.
I opened up the book and read it again for the first time in many years and decided not to wait for your reply. here it is for you and your readers. I hope you enjoy it.
Old Fashioned Letters (Edgar Guest)
Old fashioned letters! How good they were!
And nobody writes them now;
Never at all comes in the scrawl
On the written page that told us all
The news of the town and the folks we knew,
And what they had done or were going to do.
It seems we’ve forgotten how
To spend some time with pen in hand
To write in the language we understand.
Old-fashioned letters we used to get
And ponder each fond line o’er;
The glad words rolled like running gold
As smoothly their tales of joy they told,
And our hearts beat fast with a keen delight
As we read the news they were pleased to write
And gathered the love they bore.
But few of the letters that come today
Are penned to us in the old-time way.
Old-fashioned letters that told us all
The tales of the far away;
Where they’d been and the folks they’d seen;
And better than any fine magazine
Was the writing too, for it bore the style
Of a simple heart and a sunny smile,
And was pure as the breath of May.
Some of them oft were damp with tears
But those were the letters that lived for years.
Old-fashioned letters! How good they were!
And, oh, how we watched the mails;
But nobody writes of the quaint delights
Of the sunny days and the merry nights
Or tells us the things that we yearn to know---
That art passed out with the long ago,
And lost are the simple tales;
Yet we all would happier be I think
If we’d spend more time with our pen and ink.
anon (would this be my friend Ken?)- What a beautiful poem. Thank you. I'm going to print it out and put it in my journal where everything of great importance goes.
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