Letter Writing Meme

Susan has tagged me for a letter writing meme. She doesn't know it but letter writing has been a huge part of my life. From junior high onward I had pen pals all over the world, I met my husband through writing online and fell in love with him long before we met in person and even though I do not write as many handwritten letters as I used to, letter writing via email continues to be an important part of my life and a great encouragement. Actually lately I have been contemplating setting time aside on Sunday afternoon to write letters to people I care about and love. This has me thinking about it even more!


Tag 4 people and then write one of them a real letter! Let’s inundate the postal service with some “love” mail. Be sure to tell who you sent your letter to and why.


What was the last letter you wrote? To whom? The occasion? Was it a letter or more of a note? The last letter I wrote was probably a "catchup" email to my friend Beth in Washington. We met through an eBay sale and it was "destiny". I hope to meet her this summer when we travel home to see family. I have written several email notes recently, but cannot remember the last snail mail letter I wrote.

Do you prefer writing with a pen/pencil or with a mechanical device like a Blackberry or computer? I do write with pen, usually black (comes from charting in the medical field for so many years!), usually a blue stick, though I used to write with Parkers all the time. Hmmm...where are those...they got pushed aside when I started using the computer I guess. Today, I generally type letters on the computer. Part of that is time, as I have done transcription and can type much faster than I write. Part of that is due to tendinitis (which came from, as my step Dad Jack puts it, "Poking holes in small children"!) and it is sometimes painful to write manually.


Do you prefer receiving handwritten letters/notes over email? Or makes no difference, it’s all communication. I love receiving hand written notes. They are so special and carry the essence of the writer with them. That being said, I appreciate communications in varied forms and I think this fits under "it's the thought that counts"!


Do you save your hand-written letters? Why or why not? Describe a special letter that you’ll never toss. Yes, I do save many letters. Hubby and I were talking about this today. I was remembering the distinctive and strong printing in capitol letters that my step Dad Andy used. He is really the Dad that raised me and he died when I was a senior in high school. I was lamenting that I don't have anything written by him and Hubby doesn't have anything written by his mother either. I have many letters written in my Grandma Hopkins' distinctive hand and also tons of encouraging cards and letters my Mom has sent me through the years. In addition I have saved way too many of my pen pal letters and may have to weed through them at some point in time.

The one letter I will NEVER willingly be rid of is written my Daddy. We were estranged for about ten years and then spent another ten trying to work out some type of relationship. By the time he died 7.5 years ago, he had developed a relationship with Jesus :o) and we had resolved much of the pain between us. About a month before our wedding he sent me a note telling me how proud he has always been of me and how much he always loved me, even when his actions didn't show it. He also expressed his feelings that he felt that my life was taking a HUGE positive turn in marrying my Husband and that he felt we were good for each other. I hold on to that letter to remind me of the miracles that God performed in our lives after many years of tear soaked pillows and prayers. It is even more precious when I see his heavy southpaw writing, which was not easy for him to do. It is a tangible reminder of not only how much my Daddy loves me, but how much my Abba Father loves me too!

What kind of paper do you typically use? Envelope? Stamp? Embellishments? In high school when I wrote Heidi in CA and Micheal in AK, we wrote reams of notebook paper embellished with stickers and drawings. I remember the rush of excitement as I opened a thick envelope and headed to my room to shut the door to relish every word and page of the letter. I spent many hours pouring my self into return letters. These missiles are where I discovered who I was as a young woman and sorted out the things I did not understand. In my correspondence with Jutta in Germany, 1982 to present, I often used air mail paper... I still love its thin luxury or crinkly tissue like texture depending on which type I had. Today my letters are usually on cards which I create with my photography.

What is the most unusual letter you’ve ever sent? Received?
I don't know if I have sent any unusual letters, other than their contents! LOL I have received several wooden postcards. I loved receiving letters from Jutta that she embellished with drawings. One unusual one does stand out now that I think about it... One summer on the Washington Coast I put a letter in a bottle and sent it to sea. A German teenage boy visiting family, found it at Kalaloch and wrote me back about how wonderful it was to be in Germany with a low drinking age and no speed limit on the Autobahn. He was a heavy metal rocker and we had so little in common, I don't think it lasted past two letters! LOL The experience was fun though.

What was the last handwritten letter you received? From whom? The occasion? How did it make you feel? The last handwritten letter was from Mama to encourage me in my faith during a LONG, HARD week with many challenges. It was a labor of love and evidence of the faith and growth in her own life. Thank you Mutti! (I forgot to tell you on the phone!)

Tag 4 people and then write one of them a real letter! Let’s inundate the postal service with some “love”mail. Be sure to tell who you sent your letter to and why.

Hmmm... A lot of people who I would tag, have already been tagged or are at stressful times in their life where they don't have time to do a meme, so I am going to tag any of my readers who think this would be fun to do. If you do it, will you let me know. And I would love to hear comments on your letter writing experiences! As for my letter, I am going to send it to a friend whose husband just lost his job in an unfair/unethical situation. (You could pray for them... God knows who they are!) I would like to encourage her during this very stressful time!