Letter #28 4/20/21

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.

April 20th, 2021

Dear Friend,

My mom’s birthday is this coming weekend. She will be 74 years old. She down-sized her home a few years ago and moved into a condo. She has what she needs and does not want to accumulate more junk. So, aside from an exceptionally cute knick-knack, cut flowers or gift certificates for massages, it’s hard to think of something to get her as a gift. This year I found something I think she will enjoy immensely! What is something you gave your mother that she really liked?

This past year, a Broadway musical called Hamilton was released so we could watch it on TV. That was exciting news seeing as we would probably not have the opportunity to see this show live in person. The tickets were wildly expensive. My mom, my son, and I watched Hamilton countless times. The show tells the story of founding father Alexander Hamilton and the formative years of the United States of America. This sparked my mom to read more about Alexander, his wife Eliza, and other people from that time period. It’s both fascinating and sad how little we both knew about the details of our country’s beginnings. Do you like history? What time period, country or genre do you most like to learn about?

Knowing my mom was enjoying her newfound history lessons, I sought out an historical gift. She, too, looks forward to my weekly letters and appreciates that I’ve brought back this thoughtful type of written correspondence. Although I type my letters, it is still a method of communication that is rarely utilized any more. Communication has been largely reduced to text messages that aren’t even written in complete sentences. It is entirely different to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and take the time to fill an entire page with your thoughts. Now, if only historical letters could be sent to my mom…and she could enjoy getting more mail…and be privy to important historical communications. I found that she can! There is a company that mails out copies of the original handwritten letters of George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, and others along with contextual notes. Jackpot! I ordered a few months of weekly letters to be sent to my mom.

If you could receive a letter from anyone in the world- alive or dead- who would it be? Would you choose to hear from a great historical figure? Or would you want to hear from a relative? Ok, what if you could pick a few people to get mail from? Do you have good handwriting? Did you ever write letters? My grandpa had the most beautiful handwriting. Absolutely perfect! They don’t teach handwriting in school any more. My plan is to teach my son cursive this summer. I think it’s a skill, maybe even an art, that he should know how to do. (I did tell my mom to not read this letter until after her birthday. So, shhhh, don’t tell her!)

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 is something you gave your mother that she really liked? Do you like history? What time period, country or genre do you most like to learn about? If you could receive a letter from anyone in the world- alive or dead- who would it be? Would you choose to hear from a great historical figure? Or would you want to hear from a relative? Ok, what if you could pick a few people to get mail from? Do you have good handwriting? Did you ever write letters?