Miscellany Monday - The Handwritten Word

When was the last time you got a handwritten letter in the mail?

Do you remember the excitement of opening the mailbox or post office box and seeing a letter addressed to you?

I remember those days of long-distance courtship when not many days passed without either sending or receiving a letter from my soon-to-be hubby.  We kept every letter that passed between us.  Also, my mother kept every beautiful letter she received from my father.  He had the prettiest handwriting and was so romantic.

My sisters and I treasure these letters because they reveal a side of our parent's great love for each other that we never knew - that early budding love between two young adults.

Has this day passed?

Do you remember those days in school when we wrote notes to each other and hoped the teacher didn't catch us passing them around?  I remember the excitement of seeing who they were from and sometimes being disappointed.  I could never quite master the art of intricate folding patterns like some of my friends.  Now, the kids just text and don't worry about folding or getting caught.  But neither do they have special notes stored away for safe keeping.

 Several years ago when going through some old books that had belonged to my father, I found these handwritten documents and transactions dating back to the mid 1800's.  Does anyone write like this anymore?  Do children even learn to write in cursive these days?  What a lost art!

Another of my treasures is a letter my dad wrote to our two children when they were very young.  My parents had kept our children for a couple weeks while we were out of the country.  Even though the children were much too young to understand what their Papa wrote, they understood the love that was expressed for them.  It is something they can pass down to their children someday.

I keep these two precious notes from our two oldest grandchildren because they are expressions of love and the act of being grateful.

Is it too late to instill this seemingly lost art of handwriting letters in this new generation?  I sure hope not.  What will they have to treasure and share from boxes and trunks one of these days - email print outs?  Maybe.