Going Postal

Write my parents a letter every week over the next 1001 days. Write the immediate family members who do not live under my roof once a week. Last night my teenage daughter popped in the DVD based on the Terry Pratchett "Discworld" novel GOING POSTAL. This was our second time watching this totally Steampunk film and we are enjoying it every bit as much this round as the first. It's a story about reviving the postal system because the "clack" system is now a monopoly giving poor service at rising rates. One of the persuasive arguments the new postmaster used to attract customers to a service in which the public had lost all confidence was that a letter can be "sealed with a kiss" or something can be tucked into an envelope along with the letter. That may seem ridiculously sentimental, but I think there is some sort of power in touching something that you know someone dear to you has touched. For instance, I have a letter which my grandmother wrote and when I read it I know it was her hand that held the pen that placed the words upon the page. Her penmanship is an extension of herself. She folded the pages and inserted them into the envelope. When I hold that letter I connect in some way through time and space and even beyond the veil of this world to her. All that being said, I have found it to be increasingly easy to find thoughts to share with my parents. I am enjoying writing these letters. Who knows how long I will have the pleasure of their company? I visit with them on the phone frequently, but as my daughter once observed while visiting them -- there is a palpable energy when the post is delivered. All other activities stop whilst the pilgrimage to the mail is made. I was thinking that a weekly e-mail to my family members would suffice, so I have picked up that baton once again, having set it aside for the past six months. However, last night it occurred to me that I should send along a card or letter once in awhile. To one of them I got a fun large-tip felt pen and some 5x7 note cards. I wrote some things I love, notice, or appreciate about that person and then took some craft scissors which were at hand and snipped them into "thought bites". Then I turned them all over and wrote the lyrics to a song on the backs. This person will be able to enjoy the thoughts and then piece together the song. It was very fun and I hope will be equally well received. To another family member I shared some thoughts on a hand-crafted card I unearthed from my collection. While I was at it I wrote thank you cards to three friends I'd heard from this week. It is so nice to connect with these wonderful friends.