The Letter Writing Revolution

Revitalizing a Lost Art One Letter at a Time



Monday, July 19, 2010

Remembering a Time

I am back..........
I was never really gone but as I mentioned in a previous post, I am very busy getting ready for an art exhibit this weekend and so I am spending my spare moments doing all of the last minute tasks. I promise to be a more regular blogger when the exhibit is finished and I can return to a less hectic pace. Who am I kidding? I am doubtful that my life will ever reach a less hectic pace.....at least not anytime soon. But after this weekend, I will have more time to focus on my blog and letter writing.

In the midst of my busy-ness, I have managed to write a few letters. I am a little disappointed at the submissions for my 45 Letters in 45 Days Challenge. At this rate, I will be able to write all of the letters to the respondants within a week. Not much of a challenge but for those of you who have sent me your addresses, you will be getting a letter. If you are expecting a letter because I know you and have your address already, send me a friendly reminder as I do not go through all of my followers to see who I know and who I do not know. Come one, come all.......experience the anticipation of a letter in your mailbox.

I have been trying to figure out a way to match same aged children as pen pals as a few of you have mentioned that your children want penpals. Send me your child's age and name and I will find them a pen pal. Of course, I will be sure it is someone I know personally.

I stopped in at my mom's house this morning and on the table was an old letter that I had written in December 1996. I was living in Victoria, BC and the letter was sent home in a package filled with homemade gifts for my family. It was my first Christmas on my own. I had had only one other Christmas away from home in 1990 but I was with my older sister, then. We were backpacking through Europe and spent it in France. Reading this letter today brought back so many memories. I had made seashell tree ornaments with shells I found on the beach by my home and embedded them into discs made of Dass clay. I also sent home fresh holly which didn't grow in my home province of Ontario. I laughed when I read that my then boyfriend (now husband) kept watch as I chopped the holly from someone's tree in their yard. When I read this to my husband, he said, "Oh, ya, I forgot about that." So had I.


The humble letter....bringer of joy (most of the time) to the receiver, therapeutic (most of the time) to the writer and an unintentional recorder of history. The hundreds of letters contained in my trunk hold memories that have long slipped away from my mind. This is one of the reasons it is critical that we keep it alive and not let it dissolve in the next one or two generations.

Did any of you write to someone lately purely because you were motivated to by The Letter Writing Revolution? Has anyone written that love letter or a letter to a soldier? I would like to hear from you.

I have some great ideas for this blog but alas they will have to wait until this art show has been completed.
I look forward to hearing about your letter writing experiences.

3 comments:

  1. I remember those ornaments!
    You are inspiring me to dig out my old letters and go through them. Better saved for a rainy day, or a cold autumn day!

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  2. Hi, Julie: Your posts are reminding me about the value of letters:
    - as a link to people we love - I haven't kept many family letters, but in the few from my parents that I still have, I can hear their voices (they've both passed away);
    - as a recorder of history (as you say) - I have letters or diaries from points in my life that remind me of details I'd forgotten; and we still have the very first letter that my oldest son, now 9 (today!) received -- written by you, about his birth;
    - as a way to make a difference in the world - I'm a regular letter-writer for Amnesty International (www.amnesty.ca) - a lot of letters from a lot of people, or sometimes even one letter, can be noticed.
    Congratulations on your exhibit this weekend. Looking forward to more posts!

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  3. Hello!
    I remember the first tour overseas my husband did. There wasn't phone plans, email everyday or skyping ect.. the most prolific form of communication was letter writing. I have saved every letter, postcard, note he ever wrote to me while he was on tour. At the time I was a mother to 3 boys living at home, ages 2, 10,16. I looked forward to those letters like a thirsty man in a desert looks forward to water. Now, he is on another tour, and I have email, which I check daily ;) but it's not as personal as a letter.

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I need to know that this revolution is growing and impacting the masses. Your comments motivate me! Please take the time to let me know how TLWR is working for you.