Anticipation at the Mailbox

Everyday, I mean every single day that the mail runs, I open my mailbox with anticipation. Some days I am rewarded. A lot of days I am not. You may think that I am talking about getting a check from the Reader's Digest Contest stating that I may have already won a bazillion dollars.

No, my heart races when I see handwriting on a regular letter. A real live letter thrills me. My friends and daughters-in-law know this and indulge me fairly often. Don't get me wrong, I am an email addict and love having as many notes from people as possible. I like personal notes about how everyone is doing..their kids...grandkids...their hopes...dissappointments...You know, all the stuff of life. It doesn't take much. I am happy with a couple of sentences in my emails.

When I see an unfamiliar return address on a handwritten envelope it touches my heart. People have been very supportive about the books I write. It is like they send the encouraging words just in time to rescue me from self-doubt. There are a lot of very kind people in this world. They don't get a lot of press, but they are amazing.

I guess the thing about holding and tearing open the crispy envelope to see the contents is the realization that sending a letter takes purposed effort. So many times I think of writing someone and then just as quickly as the thought landed in my brain it flew off. I love looking at the script. (I get a little jealous of other people's handwriting. Mine looks so scratchy.) I am nutty about letters....Can you tell? I save every hand written thing I get...

Here is an idea. Send a hand written letter to your mom for mother's day. If your mother is not around anymore, send one to someone special in your life. You will surprise them and make their day.