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Letter Writing Day

December 7th, is letter writing day, a day to celebrate with pen and paper in hand. How many of us celebrated this day? Very few I guess due to technology. I mean it is so much easier to jump on that cell phone, laptop, tablet, or even the desktop to type in a few letters and send your message out within seconds to anyone, anywhere in the world, now isn’t it?

I know that I am indeed guilty of this, I still love to write. However, it is mostly from behind my laptop or desktop. I still do love to receive snail mail. I mean nice snail mail, not the regular snail mail that we all receive every month. BILLS! That is one type of snail mail that I, like most people wish never to see in the mailbox.

I remember having pen pals in grade school. It was part of our lesson plan. We all had to write a letter to a pen pal to a stranger from some other country of the world. I, along with my classmates wrote the letter and gave it to the teacher. I remember being amazed when I found a return letter on the floor in the vestibule.

My penpal was a girl from the Philippines, around the same age as me. We wrote pen pal letters back and forth to each other for several years and then suddenly stopped. Don’t know why, but just did. Perhaps getting older, working, and moving forward with our lives caused this. Who knows..

A few years later, I started it up again. This time it was not a school aged pen pal but rather a group of people who shared the same interests. It was a group that I started many moons ago on Yahoo. It was a craft related group. I was the group owner. In the group we shared life stories, had fun, showcased out latest craft, and did an monthly ornament exchange. It was a lot of fun. I really looked forward to crafting something for someone whom I never met in person but shared the same interests.

I would crochet, tat, cross-stitch, knit, decoupage, or use plastic canvas or another medium to make a series of crafts to mail out. I know that I could not wait to open my little surprises that arrived in the mail, and I am sure that group members felt the very same way!

I became very close to one lady, Mary Robinson. She and I would exchange much more than what we posted in the groups. She and I shared life through the workings of pen and paper. She and I would exchange photos of ourselves and family members, our pets, and our craft creations. This went on for several years.

Eventually we even got to talking on the phone. Heaven forbid! My kids know that I do not talk on the phone. It is something that I avoid at all costs, unless of course an emergency arises!

We also exchanged craft books via snail mail. Mary and I would send each other craft supplies, antique hooks, knitting needles, cotton, books and handmade treasures. She lived in Richmond, VA with her husband Larry and her dog. She had a son, who no longer lived at home.

We also exchanged many crochet patterns by Elizabeth Hiddleson. A very prolific crocheter, I may add. To this date, her patterns are my absolute favorites.

As for Mary, we continue our letter exchange for many years. Then, they suddenly stopped. A few months later another note arrived from Richmond, VA. It was a letter from Mary’s husband Larry, notifying me that Mary had passed from a heart attack. I was devastated.

Sending this letter up to heaven for you, Mary Robinson, for fun, friendship, and laughter. I miss you.

Till we meet again.

When is the last time you wrote a letter?