"YOU have mail, Sam!," my cousin Jenny gleefully told her two-year-old daughter.
A look of surprise and excitement came upon my niece's face. "Mail?," Sam grinned. "For me?"
She then excitedly opened the letter together with her Mom. She was thrilled because her concept of getting a letter must have been limited to what she saw on "Blue's Clues" ("We just got a letter, we just got a letter, we just got a letter, I wonder who it's from!"). Having her own letter to open and read was a big moment for her!
It made me think back to the last time I received snail mail. And I don't mean bank statements or even holiday cards with just the signature of friends affixed. I'm talking real snail mail -- letters with stories and anecdotes written by hand. It has been a long time since I've received and written a letter.
E-mail is such a wonderful way to get in touch so easily. But while you can personalize it with fonts and colors, nothing beats the scribble of a loved one's penmanship in blue ink on white paper. A piece of the sender is with you. Sometimes they still even carry the scent of the sender. It's quite an intimate way of sharing a part of yourself with another.
I remember having a ton of penpals when I was a tween. I enjoyed corresponding with boys and girls my age around the world. There was no e-mail then and so correspondence was always through the post office. I loved seeing the different penmanships of my friends -- some were huge and loopy, others small and hard to read, others grand and feminine. I loved guessing each penpal's personalities through their writing. Sometimes we'd send each other coins, stickers and stationery along with our letters -- what quaint gifts! And it was always a joy to come home after school and see a bunch of letters from all over the world in the mail. I'd receive ten to fifteen letters a week at most, prompting our mailman to ask, "Is there a celebrity living in this house?"
Gradually my correspondence with my penpals faded. I keep in touch with several of them through e-mail now though. While I miss the thrill of seeing their letters in the mailbox, I am happy that we get to interact more often now through the Internet. (Thank you Facebook!)
But still, I hope the art of letter writing hasn't died. I am certain there are still those who would prefer this more personal brand of communication but have given in to the swiftness of the Internet and text messaging. I'm definitely one of those people. It sure would feel good to receive a long sincere letter. I'd definitely react the same way my two-year-old niece did.
Maybe it's something we should revive, starting with our loved ones across the miles. Who knows? Maybe they'll write you back.
January 2008 Archives
"YOU have mail, Sam!," my cousin Jenny gleefully told her two-year-old daughter.
A look of surprise and excitement came upon my niece's face. "Mail?," Sam grinned. "For me?"
She then excitedly opened the letter together with her Mom. She was thrilled because her concept of getting a letter must have been limited to what she saw on "Blue's Clues" ("We just got a letter, we just got a letter, we just got a letter, I wonder who it's from!"). Having her own letter to open and read was a big moment for her!
It made me think back to the last time I received snail mail. And I don't mean bank statements or even holiday cards with just the signature of friends affixed. I'm talking real snail mail -- letters with stories and anecdotes written by hand. It has been a long time since I've received and written a letter.
E-mail is such a wonderful way to get in touch so easily. But while you can personalize it with fonts and colors, nothing beats the scribble of a loved one's penmanship in blue ink on white paper. A piece of the sender is with you. Sometimes they still even carry the scent of the sender. It's quite an intimate way of sharing a part of yourself with another.
I remember having a ton of penpals when I was a tween. I enjoyed corresponding with boys and girls my age around the world. There was no e-mail then and so correspondence was always through the post office. I loved seeing the different penmanships of my friends -- some were huge and loopy, others small and hard to read, others grand and feminine. I loved guessing each penpal's personalities through their writing. Sometimes we'd send each other coins, stickers and stationery along with our letters -- what quaint gifts! And it was always a joy to come home after school and see a bunch of letters from all over the world in the mail. I'd receive ten to fifteen letters a week at most, prompting our mailman to ask, "Is there a celebrity living in this house?"
Gradually my correspondence with my penpals faded. I keep in touch with several of them through e-mail now though. While I miss the thrill of seeing their letters in the mailbox, I am happy that we get to interact more often now through the Internet. (Thank you Facebook!)
But still, I hope the art of letter writing hasn't died. I am certain there are still those who would prefer this more personal brand of communication but have given in to the swiftness of the Internet and text messaging. I'm definitely one of those people. It sure would feel good to receive a long sincere letter. I'd definitely react the same way my two-year-old niece did.
Maybe it's something we should revive, starting with our loved ones across the miles. Who knows? Maybe they'll write you back.
IT takes 21 days to build a habit, I've heard. There does seem to be logic to that. If you do the same thing over and over for a number of days, you'll most likely end up picking up the habit without even knowing it.
Fixing the bed in the morning used to be a pain to me. After getting dressed for work, I would automatically get my office bag and step out of the bedroom, leaving our pillows and blankets in a mess. While it saved me minutes in the morning, coming home to a disorderly bed gave me a headache. I convinced myself it was high time I picked up the habit. The very next morning, I made the bed upon waking up.
There were a lot of snags along the way. It was hardly a therapeutic act, wrestling with the sheets and blankets. It didn't help that I was counting the minutes to the rest of my morning rituals. I had to rush making the bed so I could heat my bath water, fix my clothes, take a bath, etc. Making the bed was a huge barrier for me.
Over time (perhaps nearing the 21st day), making the bed fell into my morning ritual. I found that it was best to take a shower first before fixing it. Most of the time anyway my husband was still lying in bed, and I didn't want to wake him just so I can fix the sheets. When I'd get back from my shower, my husband would be watching the morning news. I'd then go about my usual preparations, and then the finale -- fixing the bed. It comes automatically now, and I cannot leave the room without the bed covers neat and flat.
Baby steps are what I took to build the habit. I suppose that's the way it works with new year's resolutions too. It's easy to make a list of the things you want to accomplish. To lose weight and to save more money seem to be the top two resolutions I've been hearing from friends. They're both admirable goals, but quite hard to follow through. Some friends have gone on crash diets, others have started scrimping. What is "too much" can be subjective I guess. I believe that taking little steps towards these goals will yield far more positive results than going cold turkey or jolting your lifestyle! It may work for some, the lucky few. Based on experience though, and friends' anecdotes, the best way to go about this is at a slow but steady pace.
Gradually, you'll see the changes in your waistline. You don't have to go ga-ga at the gym right away. Find a workout that suits you. Eat fruits for breakfast instead of bagels with cream cheese. Walk around during your lunch hour. The little activities add up, and you'll reach your goal eventually. You didn't have to starve yourself all of a sudden too!
Good luck with your new year's resolutions then! Keep the passion a-burnin' to make them come true. I hope you don't tire yourself out, though! It would be so disheartening to be exhausted when you're so near your goal. Baby steps aren't bad at all, so perhaps you can consider keeping your pace gentle but still delightfully driven.
