“More than kisses, letters mingle souls…” (-John Donne)

Isn’t it rare today to see a real, live letter tumble out of the mix of bills, magazines and junk mail that clutter up a mail box? Email, text messages, facebook, IM’ing, etc have spoiled us so much with that sense of the instantaneous response. I happen to love email and use it constantly, just like everyone else.

But I’m such a romantic...

I have several baskets in my office where I save every single card or letter I’ve ever received from people. I sometimes enjoy taking down those baskets, and browsing through those letters, enjoying them all over again.

Some of them were from my mother,when she was still alive, or hand-made cards my dad sent me over the years. Others are from my son when he was young. He always sent me hilarious notes, with things like “the Fruit of your Loins” written as the return addressee on an envelope he'd send me.

I even save gift tags that had little notes from Eric. They’re in my “Eric” file.

One Christmas, I hand-painted every single card I sent to people, and that was when postage was cheaper and my list was pretty long.

I saved an old Victoria magazine that highlighted Florine Asch’s customized, hand-painted envelopes to people because I thought how utterly beautiful and charming they were. (see below:)

I still try to write thank you notes to people for anything I’m given, and I treasure any notes anyone else sends to me. I think how thoughtful it was of them to send it to me. It’s very rare though, now, to actually receive letters.

Do you write letters any more?

"And none will hear the postman’s knock

Without a quickening of the heart.

For who can bear to feel himself forgotten?"

(-W H Auden)