Guilt, Renewal, and Handwritten Notes

Don't underestimate the power of a card or letter.

A few weeks ago, I came across a birthday card Florence Littauer sent me a few years ago after I saw her at an event. In the card, she told me she enjoyed seeing me there, but it probably wouldn't happen again because she was stepping away from the speaking and publishing industry after a long career.

Her final words were, "But I'll never forget you. With admiration, Florence."

As someone who often feels invisible, this stuck a chord with me. She wrote it years ago, and I read it years ago, but the words were meant for now. 

Florence's card is now hanging on my file cabinet next to my work station as a constant reminder to continue to send cards and letters.

They matter.

I know this, but I forget it sometimes.

But after finding this card, I'm resolving to start sending them again.

Florence wrote a book called A Letter is a Gift Forever: The Charm and Tradition of a Handwritten Note. I pulled my copy off my bookshelf this week and found this nugget: "Will a handwritten note on crisp perfumed vellum ever be equaled by mechanical Email sent to every friend the writer can remember?"

I have no idea what vellum is, but I'm pretty sure it would evoke my senses more than my email inbox.

I'd love to hear your stories about receiving an encouraging card or letter. Just hit the reply button and tell me about one you've received. It'll spur both of us on.

Now, let's get to this week's thoughts about slowing down and living deeper:

• One of the reasons we don't take the time to take care of our bodies or our souls is guilt. We always feel like we should be doing something more productive. If your soul (or body) is crying out for more downtime, check out this article: Let's Stop Feeling Guilty About These 7 Things by Erica Layne.

 

• Eighty-year-old twin sisters completed a major goal this summer. Elrose Couric and Sue Hollinger finished hiking the 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail. They hiked it in segments over the span of 14 years. More importantly, hiking brought them together after a 30-year separation. How cool is that?

 

• The house across the street from me has sat empty for years. At one point, I heard a rumor that it was going to be torn down by the city because it needed so much work. This week, a construction crew pulled up and began restoring it. Soon, it will presumably be filled with life again in the form of a new family. Everything that is old can be made new again.

 

• Former Major League Baseball pitcher Jeremy Affeldt penned a post this week called You're in the Right Place that chronicled a time in his career when he wasn't ready for a big platform. It's worth a read.

 

• The price of forever stamps in the U.S. is going up on Sunday. Reading that article reminded me that I used to have a stamp collection. Did you? I have no idea what happened to mine. Apparently, I lost interest. But it would be fun to stumble across now.

 

• In the days following the Ft. Myers airport shooting, I saw a post from a friend on Facebook about her firsthand account. Her post has since been picked up by Christianity Today. She'll be forever known as the "snack lady" after this, and I bet she won't mind one bit.

 

• Well, it's January 20. How are you doing on the goals you set for 2017? I set four major goals and I'm using an app called Persistence from the iTunes store to track them daily. So far, I've kept up with three of them and have fallen behind on one. Not bad. By the way, did you know that we are already 5% of the way through the year? 

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Have a great weekend!