The Goddess Speaks Carol Ramie

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The personal connection

AS I thumbed through the mail today, a rather thick envelope caught my attention from among the bills, checks and advertisements. On different parts of the envelope were colorful, childlike stickers and a caricature stamp. Not even looking at the return address, I instantly knew it was from my friend Dianna, who lives in Washington state.

The envelope contained some photos of her dad, who passed away a few months ago. She included a postcard with a picture of a fireplace and a tiny package of Cranberry Crème coffee. I'd been promising to visit them in Seattle for so long and haven't made it just yet. She and her dad joked over the years how they'd have a fire going and a pot of coffee waiting for me when I finally arrived there.

She wrote on the postcard, "because you can't get here just yet, I'm sending you the fire and coffee." Most important, and what truly touched my heart, was her lengthy handwritten letter filling me in with all the latest news.

I was quickly emotionally transported to Seattle -- I was there in Washington, sitting by the fireplace with my beloved friend whom I haven't seen in years. My eyes welled with tears.

I CAN'T remember the last time I received a handwritten letter from anyone besides my own mom.

In this day and age of e-mail, letter writing has become a lost art. Every once in a while, I will try to write and realize that my handwriting skills are weakening. Because I spend the majority of my day on a keyboard, I suspect that the muscles involved in writing with a pen are not exercised enough. I've talked with others about this, and they concur.

E-mails are a wonderful time-saving way of communicating, but I realized today how special it is to receive a handwritten letter. There's just something about it that does not compare to e-mail.

Electronic devices make things easier but cost us that personal touch that makes life worth living.

Life teaches us lessons all the time. One simple letter from Dianna has inspired me. I am sure she has no idea how much her letter meant. But you can be sure that before the week is over, I will write her back to let her know what she means to me and how very much I appreciated her letter.

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