The Letter

     Today's world is so digital.  We email everything from Birthday cards to Birth announcements.  Many people now even choose to send their Christmas cards digitally.  Being a fairly green family I get it I do.  However tending to be an old fashioned person I truly miss the days of receiving written notes in the mail.    
     Listening to the radio last week I came in on the end of a segment about American recipes.  It really wasn't holding my attention until they had a caller tell this story:
 For generations his family had a secret Egg Nog recipe. When you were deemed old enough Grandpa would swear you to secrecy and then share the recipe.  Then last year Grandpa passed away.  While organizing his papers one of the sons found the Egg Nog recipe written down by Grandpa.  That Christmas everyone received a copy of the hand written recipe.  I almost cried when I heard that it touched me so.  Yes I used to cry at Hallmark commercials too.
  You see there's something about seeing someone else's handwriting.  Knowing that they took the time to think of you.  Holding something that they were holding while thinking of you.  And not just in a fleeting moment but taking out the time to let you know you were in their thoughts.  During my stroke recovery I received a number of cards and kept them displayed around my room while at the hospital.  When I finally got home there were days when I could barely make it across the street to the mailbox. Finding a hand addressed envelope made the effort all the more worthwhile.
    While I was at school I kept asking my Dad to send me a letter.  He kept telling me that just wasn't his thing.  Finally one day it happened.  There is my mailbox was a letter from my dad. I still have that letter today.  I take it out every now and then.  The fold marks are starting fade the writing but that doesn't matter. I lost my Dad 9 years ago and that letter is the only thing I have in his handwriting that's more than a signature at the bottom of a card.
     Maybe this is why I am such a Christmas Card snob.  I start shopping for Christmas cards as soon as they hit the shelves looking for just the right one.  Inside I acknowledge each family members by name.  In addition to a quick note I also sign each of my family members' names not Lady Bren and family.  I love receiving Christmas pictures and newsletters from friends and family.  BUT it drives me nuts when everything is computerized.  It almost makes the whole thing feel very sterile.  I'm all for computer addressing the envelopes....heaven bless those postal workers and some of the handwriting they have to deal with.  I just want to know that you sent our family a card because you were really thinking of us and we're not simply a label Microsoft Works created.

    I recently started collecting together the recipes I use for our holiday dinners.  I thought I would make a book for each of my three kids. (Of course now there's kits at Sam's to help you create a family recipe book)  Unfortunately I don't have any family recipes never mind hand written ones to pass along.  Shat I am going to do is include a hand written copy of their favorite recipes.  If I start now while they're teenagers it should be pretty full by the time they all get married.