12.07.2009

The Lost Art of The Letter

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(I found this waiting for me in the kitchen yesterday morning from WonderBoy)

I'm a note lover.

I have been for as long and I can remember.

I'm a note writer and a note saver.

I have notes from my childhood that I passed in the classroom with my BFFE.

I have notes from my parents, my siblings, my friends, my grandmother.

I have notes from old flames and loved ones long gone.

They are inscribed in books, written in real ink on beautiful stationary, jotted down on a scrap of paper, written in my own lipstick on a brown paper bag (a reminder to me never to leave my BEST lipstick lying around!), scrawled on the back of a waiter's dupe pad, inside a matchbook cover, on a restaurant placemat, typed on an old Smith Coron@, etched into a leaf from far across the ocean, left in a papertrail of scraps for me to find to work out the puzzle of the sentiments it held together as I found it. Some are notes that were tucked inside my luggage or pockets as I travelled or a sticky note stuck precariously on my rearview mirror. Some I photographed so as to always remember them...a message in the sand, footprints in the snow harkening a warm heart or the magical appearance of a sweet word in the fog of the bathroom mirror.

They mean the world to me...all of them.

I have them all tucked neatly away, organized and labeled by person and time.
A continuum of cherished memories.

They remind me of the different seasons of my life, and how those events, along with the people I loved and who loved me, have shaped who and where I am today.

They are my little time capsules.
When I hold them in my hands I am transported back there,
with the knowledge and appreciation of today,
and I can reminisce...
an inside moment all my own.

There's nothing like those notes to comfort, ground me or make me soar.

They are a reminder of who I am and who I always have been.

They are my golden treasures.

Not surprisingly, I leave WonderBoy and JR notes all the time.

The little thinking of you notes, the i love you notes and
the thank you for being you notes,
those are my favorite kind of notes to leave.
These are the variety of notes I leave in WonderBoy's lunchbox to remind him that at that very moment he reads my note, I'm somewhere thinking of him.

Sometimes I leave a little chocolate kiss for him on his dresser with a note to find when he gets home from school. Then I'll find the silver foil remnants of that chocolate kiss along with my note tucked inside his secret treasure (cigar) box.

Other times, I'll leave him a note under his pillow to remind him how happy I was to share the day with him and how much I look forward to another tomorrow as his mommy.

In this day of lightning speed communication by email, text and instant messaging...
the fine art of the truly written word is all but lost.
I have had the privilege of holding in my hands tangible evidence of the many ways people in my life have shown their appreciation, kindness, encouragement, admiration, sympathy, congratulations, words of inspiration, passion,
humor and love for me and took the time to put it in writing.
I realize that at the moments I may have recieved some of those precious missives, I may have underestimated their importance however, having had the foresight to save them over the years, I have been enriched by them many times over.

I want to ensure that my children will always know the simple joys of holding such a personal treasure of their own in their hands one day.

Long ago I began to save the notes JR and I wrote to WonderBoy in a box I've created just for him...notes that we and others who adore him have given him over the years. I date them on the back and write a short explanation of the circumstances surrounding the recipt of that note and tuck them away to be found one day as WonderBoys hands and heart grow over the years.

I started a box for Sweetie as well and I hope one day she and her brother will open their boxes at different times in their lives and cherish the written words that the people who have been with them along the way contributed to the tapestry of their lives.

8 comments:

  1. Well I have a BIG smile on my face right now Dita...I'm a note keeper and writer too. I have letters and notes kept from childhood, high school boy friends and letters written to me by my parents when I went away to college. Lovely post...what a wonderful keepsake you have for your children.

    Love the cookies and note he left you...so sweet!

    xo

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  2. Oh my.....that note next to the cookies is so sweet!! I think that the boxes are such a great idea......it is something each of your children will treasure always. You are such a great Mom!!

    Luv Ya Girl!!

    xo,

    Lisa

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  3. I LOVE this post..... I am a note/letter writer and a keeper as well.
    They are treasures that I cherish dearly. My mom always left me notes and as a little girl I saved them in a special box. I still carry one of my favorites (from my mom) in my wallet to this day.

    The note and cookies your son left you are so special!

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  4. Dita, you know you have a gift, don't you? You can really turn a word and paint a beautiful (really beautiful) picture with it. It's rare and you own it. Wow.

    I remember thinking that way before we actually (virtually) met. I fell onto your site and read how you met JR (which even poorly written is a great story). I remember being stilled by the depth and sentiment of your story telling. You're one amazing gal!

    Now, for the subject of your post. I too love notes. Mine are not so organized but I do treasure all the bits of memories I've collected through the years. And what a sweet, sweet soul your Wonder Boy is. I love what he left you.

    CU Wed.
    xoxo

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  5. That was beautiful. I have notes from my past and present as well. My husband gets up at 4am for work. I love waking up and coming into the kitchen to find a note from him. He even wrote on a spaghetti squash once. Couldn't save that one! But I did get a picture ; )

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  6. What a bee charmer you are. You know how I feel about your multitude of talents.

    Weather you paint pretty words or realistic colored words, you have a knack for capturing the "image" with your written word as well as your "photographic" words.

    I wonder if I print and send you my correspondance will the replies come back more quickly?

    Wonderboy is a doll, and I will borrow your note idea, Love truly is in the details.

    Van

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  7. What a great post and you are such a wonderful Mom, and it shows through WonderBoy!!

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  8. Oh I've been away from your amazing blog for too long...

    Dita, this post was like reading a beautiful poem. It really touched my heart. I'm in tears...no surprise. lol

    I am a note writer and a note keeper. Sometimes a note from my mother will fall out of a book and its just what I needed. I love the idea of a box for each child!

    You are one amazing mother! Your children are truly blessed and its no surprise they radiate love. You have taught them what love truly is just by being YOU! :)

    Love and hugs from St. Louis!
    Robin

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