My 30 days of lettering writing

When the topic came up at a meeting with Tona and the other cowgirls at the end of March, I thought, no problem.  I can do 30 letters, cards or notes in a month; so I was “on”.  Then April 1^st arrived and I thought what had I committed myself to!!!

As I sat there looking at the few cards I had gotten to start out the month with and looked at the calendar, it seemed overwhelming.  I don’t even know 30 people, much less sending a written item that many times.  But, I started to recall when I was a young woman and the letters I would write and receive.  And to look over some of the saved letters and the cards that were now almost 50 years old.  I couldn’t imagine an email being with me this long and evoking the memories that these pieces of paper were bringing back.  A tactile reminder of who I was then and the people in my life; my grandmother; my mom and dad all of whom are now gone; close, dear friends, lost loves.  These were pieces of the fabric of my life that I could actually touch and not just search for in an email.

So, now almost at the end of the month of April, I find myself again excited to be sending my son a note, a friend a thank you, a letter to an old acquaintance across the country.  The best part of all of this has been the responses.  To now go to my mailbox and see a card or letter from someone is exciting!  A thrill that opening an email just doesn’t begin to evoke.  To feel that someone took the time to sit, think and put to paper special words to me has been a huge bonus to this challenge.  I hope, too, that the recipients of my exchanges feel as I do.  Happy to have received something in writing.

Will I continue with a letter or card a day going forward. . .No, probably not.  But I will definitely be increasing my written word to others over the remainder of the year.

Dani