Dear Santa, I Still Believe...

At 10 years old Noah still believes in Santa Claus and in writing letters to him which makes my heart burst! Even though he sees different Santa's in different locations he still believes he is real. I think watching movies like Santa Claus and Home Alone helps Noah believe in miracles. I know eventually he will grow out of the Santa phase and will most likely stop sitting on his lap as gets older, but I'm enjoying this time while he's still little.

A Handwritten Letter Can Mean So Much.

So my ever goofy mother tells me that I write too much. She tells me that she only loves seeing pictures of the family. I was like, rude!! But seriously, even though she may not read my entire post knowing that she is at least scrolling down through the pictures makes me happy. I think that if she had her own computer she would actually read all my posts in their entirety, but because she doesn't and doesn't get the chance to go over her friends house too spy on me online too often can be frustrating for her. She's so old school, and even if we bought her a computer I honestly don't think she'd use it too much. She has an old school flip phone, and hardly ever texts. Heck, she hardly calls, but will write. Isn't it ironic for someone who likes receiving, writing, and mailing handwritten letters doesn't read blog posts. She'll also read books, but has to be in the mood. Again...all my posts are on a computer, on not on a piece of paper so..... Luckily the kids and I send her good mail from time to time, and that she enjoys that very much. 

Which brings me to what this post is about.  

Mail...

Okay mom if you're looking at this post I promise I'll limit the amount of words typed on this screen, and I'll try my best to blog like it's 2005 with pictures instead of words, but forgive me if this post ends up being picture less and a little too long for ya! 

Ever since I was a little girl I learned from my mother that it is kind and thoughtful to write to others, and send thank you cards every time someone sends us something. That was very rare back in the day, because we hardly ever got any gifts via snail mail from anyone. Now that I'm older with children I constantly have friends, and family write, and send packages from time to time. I have, and will always encourage them to never lose the art of handwriting, and to never forget to send someone a thank you card...even if it's local. Even though I've noticed my hands aching after a while of writing, I still manage to send a card every now and then to anyone who I feel may use a little "pick me up." Even a random letter just saying hello, or I'm thinking of you can mean so much to that individual. Texting, Facebook, twitter, instagram??? What? What's that??? Wouldn't it be wonderful if we all thought that way from time to time?  Knowing that you took the time to sit down, put pen to paper to send a lovely thought to someone can go a long way. 

I know at times my daughter will tell me that when she calls her friends they either don't pick up the phone, or "freak out" when they answer. I honestly think that's the saddest thing because nowadays a phone conversation can mean so much. Knowing the person through a voice instead of silent texting is much better. Even though I consider myself "social savvy" I'm pretty old school when it comes to snail mail, and calling people. So often I will text or email, and ever since I got into the bad habit of emailing certain people I have caught myself emailing them in such a way where it can give a different meaning to the other person on the other end, therefore I will call instead. 

I know that it's never too late to teach our children even at the age of four to learn to write their own thank you cards, or a short note. If a toddler can draw stick figures, circles, a square, I'm pretty sure that they can write "i love you" "miss you" and their name. Start them out with small sentences, and I guarantee they'll get into the habit of writing as they get older. I also think that if you keep a handwritten journal that'll help them even more. The task is to keep it up, and may I add that it can be very therapeutic too!

I love mail! I love to write, and I have my mom to thank for that! She was (still can be) a good example of corresponding, and never want to waste that art. Even when I'm old, 80, and grey! 

And so with the holidays coming up instead of texting, emailing, or typing a message via social networking make an effort to send a card. I guarantee it'll make someone's day! 

"Email is a way to exchange information, but nothing beats sitting across from the friends you love, and have known for years sharing your lives and news. I feel recharged when there is that shorthand, the inside jokes that need no explaining, the revisiting of friendship lore, the sympaththetic ear of a friend who is also dealing with elderly parents or a child's undecided future plans. These friendships were never ones that were taken for granted, and still aren't." 

Rita Wilson couldn't have said it any better, but I will add in snail mail, and picking up the phone to reach out to those friends who are just too far away to sit with them and have a coke, and talk about our families. 

Okay...I think this post without any family pics has gotten ridiculous for my mom to read (if she's reading it) so I'm logging out! 

Happy Monday! 

The Joy of Handwriting

my nice stash of mail for this month

March is the month when  I have a lot of mail to send off. Not bills, birthday cards and St. Patrick's Day Cards. So if your a March baby and you know how I am when it comes to writing letters...look in your mailbox for a treat!

I Love to write.

Ask my family. Ask any of my friends that we have in common with. Every time I walk into a Michael's, Staples, Papyrus or any T. J. Maxx store, I run straight to the stationery section. It's my mother's fault. One of the greatest qualities my mother had was always finding the time to write to her friends and family that lived out of state. I remember how happy it made her feel when she would sit down and write. Her handwriting was so nice and neat (it still is.) I also remember the look on her face as she would mail them off. I can tell that sending off handwritten letters made her just as happy as her receiving them. She doesn't write as much as she used to due to her gout acting up, and that's okay. She has a good excuse.

What's your excuse? 

Some of us may not write because we think we have bad handwriting or we just can't find the time to do it. Maybe we don't want to spend money on postage or drive to the nearest post office. My days are busy too, but I CHOOSE to find the time to write back to that person who took their time in writing to me.  Sometimes I'll respond back that same day or later on that week. Point being...I reply.

One of my best attributes is handwriting letters.

Even though I've started a blog, have email, unlimited texting on my cell phone plan and Facebook...I still find the time to write handwritten letters. Not everyone is a 'writer'. I know it's much easier to type "Happy Birthday" on some one's Facebook page than send a card or call them on the phone. I know it's the thought that counts but still...isn't it nice to receive a pretty colored, decorated envelope other than bills and junk mail in your mailbox? Sometimes when I've had a rough week or an unpleasing day, I surprisingly will receive a nice letter in the mail.  Sometimes good mail comes in the most opportune time, and that has happened to me a lot!

For some of us it's easier to just send a quick message via email, text, or Facebook. The world today has  surrounded us with a vast amount of technology that handwriting has become a 'lost art'. I don't want it to become a lost art in our home. I have taught my girls (since they were about four) to send cards and encourage them to handwrite letters to loved ones every once in a while. It's now become habitual for them to send thank you cards every time they receive a gift, and reply to a letter once someone has written to them. I believe its common courtesy to do that and also good manners. I hope that this is one habit they will never break and that they will carry it on to their future posterity as well.

I stumbled upon this book on a friend's blog a while back and ordered it right away. This book reassured me how much more meaningful it is to handwrite a letter and how it can truly help someone who is struggling to get in the habit of writing. So if you feel you are having trouble on how to even begin to write letters...this is the book for you!

I write a lot of personal letters too. 

Sometimes a little too personal that I feel I may have written things expressed out of anger and stress. I know a lot of us have done that. I haven't written any offensive letters lately nor do I want to-that's what journals are for and I'll write about that later. I decided to order this book called "The Art of the Personal Letter", by Margaret Shepherd. I should be receiving it in a few days. I haven't read it yet, but I'm sure it'll be a great self help book for writers. 

I feel so much better when I handwrite letters. It has become a form of therapy for me.  If I didn't enjoy writing I wouldn't have started this blog or spent money on buying this card box at Costco. It holds various cards for every occasion. When I run out of cards, I'll either make, or buy more cards and add to it.

 I thank my mom for exhibiting her example to me at such a young age. That was one good thing that I learned from my childhood...writing letters.

"In an age like ours, which is not given to letter-writing, we forget what an important part it used to play in people's lives."

~Anatole Broyard