When my children were small there was not often any mail for them. I remembered wishing for mail when I was a child.
As a teenager I wrote letters. I sent them to family members and I had pen pals. Remember pen pals?
Pen pals were people you did not know but had regular correspondence with. Some might be from another country or a different part of your own country.
Letters were regularly sent and received. I loved getting mail from the box and seeing my name on it. I liked feeling important enough to receive mail.
When I had small children of my own I wanted them to feel that way too. By that time junk mail was an everyday thing. I discovered a way for the children to get mail too.
Junk mail was given to whichever child was nearest. If there were enough of the mails each child would have some. They felt special even if they were only being asked to purchase a cemetery plot.
These days most of my correspondence is on the computer. Email is faster than mailing a letter to a loved one. Most of my 'pen pals' are bloggers.
Of course I still receive some bills and notifications in the mail. Most of those are handled online too.
My son and I share a mail box at the post office. Here in our small town there is no postal delivery. We have to pick it up at the post office.
My son gets most of the mail now. And he gleefully chuckles as he hands me the junk mail from the day.
I think of how people like old letters to read. Old email just will not be here in a 100 years unless you are like my brother who would print many of them.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree.
DeleteI enjoyed reading this post. That was a good idea letting the kids have the junk mail to open. I try to send letters to my grandson as often as I can, but time gets away from me and I don't do send him as many as I would like to. I chuckled at the visualization of your son now handing you your mail, now.
ReplyDeleteHe thinks he is so cute!
Deletesuch a lovely post dear Emma :)
ReplyDeleteyou were such a caring and loving mom to make your children feel as important as you felt while receiving mail :)
writing letters was special thing indeed ,i am thankful i have some beautiful memories about letters .
the digest i would buy monthly would used to have few pages devoted for publishing letters by pen pals to each other through magazine ,i would read them fondly ,it was then an exciting thing to think about having pen friend ,i never tried this but i was happy to write letters regularly to the uncle Ahsan a radio program anchor and really famous for his voice and incredibly beautiful way of talking ,my letters were often selected for segment of the show "talking letter" i wrote there for many years and it was unforgettable experience for me as teenager .
It was also a good way to learn about people you did not know. The radio program was so good for you. It reinforced your inner strength and helped make you the strong woman you are now.
DeleteWhat a great idea you had, to give your children the junk mail! I bet it made them feel important.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was about 12, I had a pen pal in the Philippines on the island of Mindanao. I do not remember whether I was given the boy’s name and address through school, church, or the Boy Scouts. The correspondence lasted a few months and it was fun while it lasted. I don’t remember why or how it ended.
I am sorry you and your pen pal stopped corresponding. I am no longer in contact with any of mine either.
DeleteYour son has a wonderful memory to live up to.
ReplyDeleteThat is a nice way to put it.
DeleteWhat a fun idea, that junk mail for the kids! I had a penpal in Japan, for a time.
ReplyDeletePen pals were fun.
DeleteThose are memories your son will cling to forever. :-)
ReplyDeleteGreetings from London.
Obviously.
DeleteMemories of post are almost distant these days, the computer has certainly changed our lives. We get the odd bill, but even that is rare now we just seem to get them emailed to us.
ReplyDeleteNow winter has arrived I hope to keep up more with blogs, summer was a busy time for me with the garden and the kitchen.
Cheers Diane
I know. Email and phone calls are so much faster and easier.
DeleteYes, I do remember pen pals, and had a number of them when in high school and mostly from outside the U.S. Those were the days when correspondences were either handwritten (mostly) or done on the typewriter - no email or computers! Sadly, I lost contact with all these pen pals. I still write snail-mail letters, cards and notes mostly to people within the U.S. Of course, the rising postal rates are a concern, but I think there are those people I feel that need to get a cheerful piece of mail instead of advertisements and junk mail. Funny how the tide has now turned in your family situation, Emma.
ReplyDeleteThat is the way in families. The student has become the teacher.
Deletedear Emma ,i am here to drop my best wishes !
ReplyDeletethinking of you with a heart filled with prays !
hugs and blessings!
Thank you. You are often in my thoughts too. Love to you and your family.
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