grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

52 Handwritten Letters

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mailbox

When did you last receive a letter? A real, handwritten letter delivered by the postman?

Last month, I received a letter from a friend who lives near Waco, Texas. Years ago when I was a Baylor college student, we worked together at a law firm in town. My job was part-time—a few afternoons each week and every Saturday morning. I typed legal documents, filed papers with the County Clerk, that sort of thing. Edith, my co-worker, was older, wiser, a full-time employee. She became my mother away from home and we became friends, exchanging Christmas cards even now. But, we haven’t seen each other in over twenty years.

Last month, I received a real, honest to goodness letter from Edith. And it wasn’t one of those Christmas newsletters. It was a letter about her family and an update on the attorneys we worked with.

I loved it.

Once upon a time, I wrote lots of letters. Letter writing was something people did. Routinely.

Back in the 1970s, my Australian pen-pal and I wrote to one another for years. It was called airmail. A cool thing when the world felt gigantic and I lived in the middle of a cotton field.

Even during summer cheerleading camp (which only lasted one week), my friends and I packed notebook paper and envelopes and stamps so we could mail letters home. We usually made it back to Mississippi County before the exciting news of our spirit stick win. We’ve got spirit, yes we do…

Momma and Nana wrote letters to me at college. I wrote back each week. Long-distance telephone calls were expensive, and those meaningful letters from home often kept me going.

Today, I have a box in my closet filled with priceless handwritten letters, letters spanning my lifetime so far—from my fourth grade classmates who wrote to me when I was in the hospital to letters my own children sent home when they were away at summer camp.

My how things have changed.

And what about love letters? I love you, do you love me? Text 1 for yes and 2 for no? Not quite the same, is it?

52 letters a year

Since 2015 is my year to focus on writing, I’ve decided to add letter-writing to my repertoire. One letter a week. To someone. A friend. A family member. A shut-in. Anyone who might want to receive something other than bills and junk mail. A regular, handwritten letter.

I may even try my hand at those wax seals folks used back  before envelops self-sealed.

I’m starting today with a hand-written letter to my Waco friend, Edith. Since I’m getting a late start (2nd week of January and all), I’ll send out another letter before the end of the week. Then one a week (that’s my goal) for 2015.

52 letters this year.

What do you think? Want to join me in my letter writing quest?

If you know someone who would like to receive old-fashioned mail, send me their name and address, and I’ll add them to my list.

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

[tweetthis]When was the last time you received a handwritten letter?[/tweetthis]

Musical Pairing:

Please Mr. Postman – The Marvelettes

 

 

 

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Comments

  1. I LOVE this! I think letters are my love language. I do enjoy a nice, handwritten letter. I had a pen pal for 15 years or so until we “grew up.” Now we chat on Facebook. I totally need to write her a letter; she’d love it. Good luck with your 52–what a great challenge! –Rhonda

      • Wow…what an amazing individual you are. If you are seeking a new penpal, maybe you might just have found one. I love to write, infact i write everyday about something. it may be a letter, in my journal, or a little note to one of my children. Im 33 but never too old for a penpal.
        Im married to a retired usaf member, and together with our 3 children we are enjoying the new chapter of life in Texas.
        just drop me a line and we can exchange addresses!
        [email protected]

  2. I told a friend last week that I was going to start writing letters, every once in awhile. She said she had written a letter recently and her handwriting was terrible. She is the one who wrote me a note almost every week when I had my knee surgery. Meant a lot.

    THEN, I mentioned to a granddaughter that I was going to start writing letters. Her question was, “Why?”

    I hope I get a letter from you.

  3. LOVE!! I so better get a letter this year! 🙂 You know I’ll totally write back. My handwriting (as you well know) can be illegible at times, but I’ll do my best just for you! 🙂

  4. Love this idea…i was telling someone yesterday about the importance of sending a hand written thank you note after an interview and they got all defensive and said “wont an email work”. I confirmed that it would, but if they wanted the job, a handwritten note would seal the deal! Love a good piece of stationary with handwritten sentiments!

  5. I love this blog and could not agree more. Except for letters from our mothers, who have both passed, my last deliciously long letter from a friend, with writing around the margins that made it extra special to know that she had so much news she wanted to share with me, was at least 8 years ago. I do get birthday cards and Christmas letters with short handwritten notes, but even personal e-mails are drying up as face book and tweets connect friends. I enjoy staying in touch, but only a letter is so personal and says, “This news is just for you.” If you have read my blogs about the disappearance of cursive writing, you know I believe the lost art of handwritten letters is not only sad but also reflects something important about our society.

    • I’m working on a post about cursive writing too. I need to read yours and will look for it. What a dying art. Thanks for commenting. I love your description of a “deliciously long letter from a friend”.

  6. I would love to receive a handwritten letter from you but don’t want to publish my mail address in a public forum. Can we do it another way? Could I email it to you?

  7. I’m conducting research on family and place through a book called Sisters, Seeds, and Cedars. It’s an edited collection of hand-written letters between two sisters and several others – collected and shared to tell the story of southern Arkansas and northern Alabama in the time period pre-Civil War through 1920’s. It’s inspiring and and incredible picture. Today, when we hang up the phone, the conversation is gone, except in memory. I need to do some of the same.
    My focus for 2015 is “Telling Your Family’s Stories.”

    • Jane, I love reading old letters and your research sounds fascinating. Everything you say is so true. Think where we would be today if our ancestors and founding fathers never wrote letters or journals.

  8. It’s been a long time since I received a hand written letter. I did receive a few Christmas cards with hand written messages…but I know that’s not the same.

    • Kim, the Christmas cards I mailed this year included a handwritten scribble like “Merry Christmas, hope to see you soon!” I felt guilty that I didn’t have more time to write something meaningful. Better than nothing I suppose.

  9. There’s something special about receiving an honest-to-God LETTER in the mail. It’s one of my goals to send more written mail this year, too. I think it’s making a comeback–people really want to show others that they’ve spent time on things, you know, rather than just “shooting a text” (which definitely has its purpose).

  10. I love getting real mail! I have a friend in Massachusetts who sometimes sends mail, and I sometimes send him mail, but we also communicate by Facebook message. 🙂 How times have changed!

    • I have a writer friend in Massachusetts who never sends me mail. I’m going to remind him of that. Ha.

  11. Weekly letters to and from my grandparents was a simple pleasure and part of growing up. We received a very special letter around Thanksgiving from a dear friend. We went years without communicating until we saw each other at a funeral last year. I called her recently but now I have decided, thanks to you, that I will write her a letter. This might become contagious.
    If you don’t have my address, you know where you can get it. 🙂

  12. I love this idea, I have been playing with the idea of sending baked goods to people throughout the year and this goes along with it.

  13. I am so behind this goal of yours! I think it’s a fantastic way to show love to others, writing and sending letters by mail. I am a mail fanatic, I get so excited every time the mail comes every day just to know I MIGHT get a letter or special something. Even if it happens once a month, I still get excited. 🙂 I applaud you on this and hope to hear back on this goal later in the year.

  14. What a wonderful idea! I love this! I used to be such an avid letter writer before the arrival of the Internet. I had penpals that I wrote to as well as friends and relatives.

    A friend and I have been trying to revive our letter writing habit as it’s so special to receive something in the mail that isn’t junk or a bill. And it makes my cold walk to the post office in the freezing winter wind worth the trip. I was going to make some handmade cards for people and bought some blank cards at Michaels yesterday to get going on them. You’ve inspired me with that idea of a letter a week which is definitely doable. Do you want to be penpals and exchange cards, Talya? I’ll send you a handmade card if you’d like to exchange addresses in a PM? Gee, now you’re going to be swamped with letter requests!

  17. Tayla, Of course I don’t need to tell you how much I love your idea or the concept of writing letters in today’s digital age. Even more meaningful now, I think. I would love to feature this on my blog. What do you think? P.S. reading all the amazing comments here tells me that snail mail is not as dead as some might think… 🙂

    • I would love for you to feature this on your blog! Yes, people seem excited about letter writing. Very cool!

  18. I have often thought about how I miss getting letters in the mail, back in the day when it was too expensive to call. Great project.

  19. What a great idea. I miss handwritten letters and you’re right, texting just isn’t the same. When my kids were small, I would make them sit down and write thank you notes for gifts they received and now that they’re grown, I’m happy to see they do it still.

  20. This is awesome! I miss those old hand written letters! It’s a sense of connectivity I think. Keep up the good work! #TxWomenBloggers

  22. I love your new project. I receive some notes from friends from time to time, which I love, but it’s been a long time since I received a really-o-truly-o letter. If you put me on your list, I promise to write back. I think I’ll see if I can work this into my writing schedule too. You might enjoy the little book, A Gift of A Letter by Alexandria Stoddard.

  23. I write short letters inside Christmas cards, send rememberance letters to bereaved family, and sometimes just a note to let someone know I was thinking of them. I was taught well by my high school English teacher! She’d be so proud.

  24. WOW – can’t remember the last time I got a letter in the mail that wasn’t a bill! It used to be great fun to see what you got in the mail. Can’t wait to hear how you do on your 52 letters this year. 🙂

  25. I love hand written letters – giving and receiving. I don’t know if I would do 52. I don’t know if I would keep up with it. But this is motivation to at least do 1-2 a month.

    • I think I’ll be able to stick with it. I write in my journal most every day. I’ll just make it part of my routine.

  26. Letter writing may be a lost art with technology so huge. My Mom passed away almost 3 years ago. While going through her things I found a box of letters between her and her childhood friend which spanned a lifetime. My young grandsons were in the room when I found it. As we went through it and talked about it, one of them said to me, “Grandma, you HAVE to keep this” It put a tear in my eye.
    Love your post! Please share with us at the Merry Monday Linky party. http://wp.me/p4fJXd-1nV

  27. What a wonderful idea, Talya! I used to write all the time. I even have all my letters (and notes passed between classes) from jr. high and high school. I also had a penpal–several actually–my cousin, my grandmother, and my aunt. I miss getting letters.

    • I have lots of old letters too but boy, I wish I had notes passed between classes. LOL. How fun is that.

  28. Speaking as a former mail carrier they will appreciate the effort! Mail has gone down hill for many years and now it is a scary profession to be in. I think I will mail my best friend a letter!

    • I never thought about mail going “downhill” as you say, but that makes sense. Must be frustrating for a mail carrier to mostly carry junk mail! I hope you and your best friend start letter writing regularly!

  29. Marvelous idea. My husband and I, when we were courting, would send each other telegrams (he was in Pennsylvania, me Dallas). It was fun! Am not sure you can even do that anymore… your recipients will be blessed!

    • Thanks Margaret! Yes, I’ve not heard of anyone sending a telegram recently… sweet story!

  30. In 1956, as my three sisters & I began to leave home for school or jobs, Mother began sending typed weekly letters. It was a carbon copy typed on onion skin paper. As the families grew, there were 12 copies mailed each week to several states.
    Sometimes the carbon would be placed backwards and you needed to take the letter to a mirror to read.

    Grandchildren looked forward to dad’s “kids corner” section talking about the farm animals, new kittens, rabbits and his beloved dog.

    Dad continued the ritual typing the letter every Sunday night until he died at 96 years of age. They saved a copy of each letter. Nancy has occasionally written short stories & we encourage her to use the letters for inspiration.

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