A Wisdom Story about Snail Mail

How often do you get a handwritten letter in the mail?  Do you toss it aside like the coupon mailer?  OF COURSE NOT!!  A smile grows on your face as you see your name and address handwritten on the front of the envelope.  You instantly glance to the upper left-hand corner to see who bestowed this gift on you today!  You may not even take another step before you slice it open to behold what message awaits you.  Like getting a holiday gift!

Every month I receive Wired magazine in my mailbox.  I open and feel the slick pages of the magazine on my fingertips.  When I find a particularly interesting article, I cut it out, make 2 copies, fold them up, address two envelopes to my grown daughters and send it off.  After regularly doing this routine for a couple years, I realized the beautiful irony of this monthly ritual.  WIRED magazine.  Cutting articles from a magazine about our WIRED world.  Making copies on my all-in-one printer and then sending via snail mail to my daughters.  You might think this routine antiquated, but this ironic realization deepened my intention.

You see, I received weekly letters from Mom.  They weren’t deep.  She shared about her volunteer work at the Senior Center.  Names of people I didn’t know.  How the grocery store didn’t carry fresh strawberries this week.  Flowers were blooming.  Looks like a green Christmas again this year.  Whatever crossed her mind when she sat down.  A stream of consciousness.

I rolled my eyes when my college mates saw that my Mom had sent me another letter.   But you know what?  I read every word in every letter. 

When my Mom passed away at the early age of 68, the letters of course  .... stopped.

<pause here and feel my tears>

A couple years later, I searched through ALL my stuff to find ANY of the letters.  Nothing.  I had read each one and tossed it.  I had no idea how precious those letters were!  How my Mom’s ordinary and common experiences touched my heart so deeply!  At long last, I found one of her last letters.....and I keep it in the diary by my bed.

"Spent whole morning going through eCheck, renewing lic plate, requesting prescription by mail, writing checks and photocopying.  Life's details!  At least some once a year items are completed.

Rain, rain predicted now.  Plants don't know which direction to go and I imagine a lot of hibernating animals are confused, too.  Love   Mums" 

I believe she still tells me about her common ordinary, week … from the afterlife once a week in my dreams.

So yes, Wired magazine articles copied and sent via snail mail with a Forever stamp to my daughters is quite intentional. They let my daughters know that I’m thinking of them.  Connecting. 

Today...

Get out a piece of paper.  Find a pen.  Dash a note ... about anything common and ordinary.  At the end of the letter, express your gratitude that this person is in your life.  Find a stamp and envelope.  Send it.  10 minutes.   Find just 10 minutes.

As I hold my Mom’s last letter in my hands, you never know how precious your common, ordinary letter may touch someone’s heart!