Letters of Friendship

Letter writing is an old-fashioned art that allows the writer to share with those whom they care for. As a child, I always enjoyed receiving informative and encouraging letters from my grandmother in Canada. She would remind me to be a 'good girl' and would share about her life. An invalid, she was confined to bed or chair each day, so visits from her friends and letters in the mail were very important to her. Although she died when I was 19-years-old, I still have some of her letters to me tucked away in a safe place. They are pieces to my pass that I will always treasure. Then, as an early-teen, I wrote to a girl in India who had sent her name and address to the "Pen Pals" section of our church, youth magazine. We wrote for a year or more, never dreaming that during our high school years her family would move to our very town for a year-long furlough from the misson field. Our friendship as pen pals expanded to a year of being very best friends as we attended the same high school together. Although she had to return to India at the end of the year, our friendship continues. College friendships were also enhanced and bonded by the art of letter writing. In those days before cell phones and MySpace, cards and notes delivered by a friendly postman were the glue that cemented these friendships during times we were not together. I have a box of old letters, sent by Bonnie, RuthAnn, Margie, and Janna and treasure them to this day. And the wonderful part of it all is that I still receive letters from these very friends. The intimacy of sharing by handwritten word is an art that is fading away, but clung to by some who realizes it's value and benefit.

Recently, I joined a group of online ladies shares this art. Their skill at letter writing is coordinated in a chat room online. Round-robin letters, cards, and letters fly all across the country as they share this art. It's fun to share using old-fashioned techniques, even with new-fashioned Internet friends! Revee is coordinating a letter writing potluck for the group, and I am delighted to participate. Yesterday I prepared my package to mail to her. Cards, stickers, notes, verse, postcards, bookmarks, and stationary fill a manilla envelope that is addressed to her. She will collect all the letter writing tools, then divide them up and mail a 'potluck' of items back to us. Isn't that a grand idea? A potluck of letter writing tools to bless us. What fun!

Now, how about finding your stationary and mailing a good, old-fashioned letter to someone you love!