While I was at Mom and Dad’s house for Thanksgiving, we pulled out my old Barbie toys for the grandkids to play with. Here is a list of what I had that my parents kept for over thirty years.
- Mansion
- Pool
- Motorhome
- Corvette
- Two horses
- Three Barbie dolls
- Two Ken dolls
- A big trunk of clothes
All of these items have small parts, so we had to hunt them down. Dad pulled out a bin labeled “Barbie.” Among the kitchen and bathroom Barbie items, there was a bunch of stuff that belonged to me.
Along with my pet rock (Score!) and various stuffed animals was a shoebox filled with cards from high school and college. Since I have been scanning a lot of old postcards, I took this box home to scan and discard.
It was fascinating to look through this box. There were many 16th and 18th birthday cards, Christmas cards given to me in jr. high, and letters from grandparents. I had created a time machine without knowing it.
Today is National Letter Writing Day. In an email era, it is easy to forget the joy of receiving a letter by snail mail. I can tell you that it is not only fun today, but if you tuck it away and find it thirty years later, it is even more enjoyable.
Fewer and fewer people are sending Christmas cards, and I’m okay with that. I send out a lot and create a Christmas newsletter because it makes me happy. If writing a stack of cards stresses you out, then don’t do it.
But it can be enjoyable and meaningful to write one newsy letter to someone special. Perhaps you could do one a week or have the entire family pitch in and write a letter together. You could always photocopy the letter and send it to several people.
I love text and email and think this is a great way to stay in touch, but neither of those will ever be found in a shoebox inside a plastic bin. So, consider adding to someone’s joy by writing a letter, and many thanks to my friend and family who wrote me letters so many years ago.