Letter Writing--A Passing Art?

We recently went through the passing of my mother-in-law.  It has been over a week already, but we will continue to miss her.  I am comforted to know that there are many well-wishers out there in the world.  I appreciate them very much.  It is amazing to find out who will reach out to you in this trying time.

Imagine my surprise when my husband brought the mail into our van as we were leaving to go grocery shopping.  Yes, there was a small envelope, and it was quite bulky.  I opened it up and saw a colorful greeting card inside.  I pulled it out and immediately opened to find a typed letter inside it.  I couldn't believe what I saw.

There were so many words that I started to read it first silently, then I started it from the beginning outloud so the children and my husband could read it.  It was a letter from some co-workers from the welding company who even knew my husband's father.  They (the secretary and her family) mentioned him as "Shorty," by the way.  Patty started off by apologizing for not attending my mother-in-law's funeral service.  (It had been the beginning of a severe cold front, which later turned to a snow event--a rarity in San Antonio, TX.)

She goes on to echo much of what I have already learned in my young life about missing a dearly loved one who has passed on and having to moving on in life.  The suffering is really tough to watch, while the loved one tries to endure.  She exhorts us to remember and hold the memories close to our heart.  We should share the memories with our children so that Ramona will live on in their hearts, too.

We should not harbor regrets and keep family close, Patty adds. We should not take life for granted because it can go in a flash.  We should share laughs, hugs, and even the tears with one another and leave the embarrassment aside.  She encourages us to make a difference in this world and to reach out to those that we have been at odds with.  "Forgive and try to forget."

It's bittersweet to receive such a letter as this.  It feels good to receive this loving act of a three page letter.  It is unfortunate that I get to experience the wonderfulness of the people that my husband works with through a sad turn of events.  I do feel blessed though to know that while my husband is away at work, he is surrounded by a great bunch of co-workers.

I have always loved letter writing.  In writing letters, one gets to think out what one feels before putting the actual pen to paper.  I wrote a few letters to a fellow in the Army during the Persian Gulf war around 1990-91.  I tried to write long, entertaining letters to distract him and his buddies from the terror of being in the midst of a war.  It was a blessing to me to serve him in that manner. We were very patriotic back then with the yellow bows and red, white, and blue ribbons and sent a few care packages with snacks and other goodies to him, too. 

I have also encouraged my teenage daughter to have penpals, too.  She's had three to four of them in her young life.  She loves sharing of herself.  I am glad that she has that love of writing.  It will serve her well in the future.

For now, I am glad to have had the practice of writing so I can send a thank you note of my own to my husband's co-workers.

How about you, my readers?  Have you written a letter to somebody lately?  an email thanking a friend for being there for you?  How about a simple line on Facebook to your faraway relatives?  

I encourage you to reach out to somebody today.  You might just might give them the first smile of the day.

Peace out, my beloveds.