Letter #33
Stories of A Lifetime Presents: “The Letters”
Community correspondence sparked from the isolating 2020 pandemic focused on easing the burden of loneliness.
Hello, my name is Holly. I am 41 years old and a single mom of a 10-year-old boy named Easton. His father passed away from cancer three years ago. I enjoy writing, I love history, and I like DIY home projects. I miss my grandma, and I know that if she were alive, she’d be so happy to receive a letter. It wouldn’t matter if the writing was profound or merely about what I ate for dinner, it would make her smile. So, my friend, I’d like to write some letters to you. It will help me feel useful and less lonely, and I hope the letters help you and that they spark you to reminisce about your own life, love, and good times.
June 22nd, 2021
Dear Friend,
Yesterday was the first official day of summer. Yay! I love this time of year. I enjoy working in my yard, sleeping with the windows open, and I especially love wearing flip flops. What do you like about summer? What’s your favorite season? I definitely like living in Wisconsin and experiencing all the seasons. Sitting by a cozy wood-burning stove drinking hot chocolate in January is lovely, and I’d miss not being able to go through the cold months, too. But for right now- SUMMER! Woo hoo!
There was a time in my life when summer meant tennis. Lots and lots of tennis. Tennis was life! I had an event today that brought me full circle. I brought my son to summer tennis lessons through the school district. I used to go to these in the summers with one of my friends. Sometimes we’d carpool and our parents would drop us off, but mostly my grandma brought me. She’d watch and cheer and wave and embarrass me. I think a part of me knew even then that she was the biggest fan of my life that I would ever have. I’d give anything to hear her cheer and see her wave to me again.
So, today, some thirty years after I started summer tennis lessons, I got to bring my son. The old courts are long gone, and a gorgeous sports complex is there now. Other kids began to arrive and then…there she was…a grey-haired grandma hobbled to the courts with her granddaughter. She sat on the front row of the bleachers. She cheered when her granddaughter hit her first warm-up ball. She waved. The girl was embarrassed. It all made me smile. I love that this scenario is still playing out. Maybe the girl knows now how much she is loved, but I guarantee she’ll cherish memories like this in the future. My son and I exchanged “thumbs-up,” our signal that we’re all good, and I enjoyed a quiet walk around the school.
Are you a tennis player? What were your favorite summertime activities? Were your parents or grandparents involved? I’d love to hear about the fun things that you did.
As a tennis player prepares for a point to begin, she does a “ready-hop.” It’s a way to be on your toes and ready to move in any direction. You never know which way the ball will be hit to you, so you need to be ready. I’m feeling that way about this summer. We have some plans, but we never really know how things are going to go. So, I’m just going to “ready-hop” and do my best to stay on my toes. I’ll be pulled in all sorts of directions with work and home and family, but a good “ready-hop” gets the adrenaline flowing. I like thinking of it this way. It makes me chuckle instead of feeling overwhelmed. I wish a good “ready-hop” to you, my friend! Time to let my puppies outside. Oh, the energy these two have!
With love,
Holly
If you’d like to write back to me, you are very welcome to.
I will get a PO Box soon and let you know what that is. For now, maybe someone could help you scan and email your letters back to me at Holly@StoriesofALifetimeLLC.com. Otherwise, maybe you’ll find it helpful to just journal your thoughts and write them down without sending them.
You do what is helpful to you, friend.
Conversation Starters:
What do you like about summer? What’s your favorite season? Are you a tennis player? What were your favorite summertime activities? Were your parents or grandparents involved?