Snail Mail

Snail mail - I know that's supposed to be a criticism about how long regular mail moves compared to all of our electronic and online versions of sending information to one another but, I think it's an endearing term.  Snails are slow.  Slow is good though.  It forces us to stop and smell the roses.  It helps us to be more present. Slow cooking often brings more flavor out of the food and slow eating helps you to refrain from overeating and enjoy the company around you.  Slow mail is not such a bad thing.

Most days my mailbox contains bills, junk mail, or an occasional magazine.  There are those days though -- those wonderful days when it contains a little piece of joy.  Birthday and holiday cards are always fun to receive, however, my favorite is, "Just Because" mail.  It doesn't happen often but, when it does, it brightens up the rest of my day.  My Buddy, Gina, surprises me sometimes with a funny card or note.  My mom has done the same.  I like receiving emails, texts, and online messages but they don't have the same uplifting quality that a letter or card in the mailbox has.  Is it the 46-cent stamp that gives a letter the edge?  Or maybe it is the thought and care it takes to send a letter?  Rather than firing off an email and hitting send in under a minute, it might be the process involved in sending a letter.

When I was a kid, I had intermittent pen pals.  I always secretly wished to have one of those pen pals who last a lifetime.  Any time I've participated in a pen pal group though, I usually get the dud who stops writing after one or two letters.  Then I have to stop writing so I don't become that weird, stalker girl who keeps sending mail to a stranger. 

I have definitely slacked off over the years with sending letters through the mail.  I miss receiving regular letters too.  I have a box of old letters I received from friends and family over the years.  I went to France for three weeks as a teenager and stayed with a family there.  I have saved letters from my family and friends during that time because they helped me with my homesickness. 

When I was 19 years old, I moved from Ohio to South Carolina with my family.  I had lived in Ohio my entire life and it was a difficult transition.  Even though email was gaining popularity at that time, I much preferred letters and cards at that point.  Seeing my friend's handwriting and smudging the ink made me feel connected - it was my life line to the home I used to know.





I currently have some stamps, some new pens, some new cards, and a long weekend.  I also have some ideas for handmade postcards.  I hope that snail rests up - he has some work ahead of him.

Enjoy your Friday, your weekend, and a slower pace!

I Am

This time of year can be very busy but I try to keep it slow.  I like to take time off around Thanksgiving to unwind a bit from a hectic first part of the school year, busy work days, and very excited boys who are looking forward to holidays.  I use the time to rest, enjoy my family, center myself, and start to think about what handmade items I want to make this year.  Each year I've expanded the handmade gifts that I give to family and friends.  I love receiving handmade gifts as well. 

Giving handmade gifts is a way of saying, "Here I am.  A piece of me for you."  I think some people still think handmade is a cheap way out of buying a gift but I disagree.  My mom has made quilts for my boys and gave them as gifts.  They LOVE their quilts and are very put out when we have to take them away to clean them from time to time.  This year I am going to blend some handmade items into my boys' gifts.  Typically we just buy all of their gifts but I want to incorporate more handmade for them too.  They watch me make things with love and have put in requests here and there for things they might want.  One year they all wanted crocheted winter hats.  I took them to the store to pick out thick yarn in the colors they wanted.  They loved being part of the process and watching it come to completion.

I have learned over the years the people who really appreciate handmade and the people who don't appreciate it as much.  I know there are some who will throw the handmade gifts in the back of the closet because it's not as exciting as something purchased in a store.  That's ok too.  We're conditioned to want those things.  There is a growing movement towards more handmade, well made, artisan gifts though and I love being a part of it.

For me, handmade gifts means there is a tangible part of me that will be around for a long time.  I love to think about my boys passing down things I made for them to their own children and grandchildren one day.  The idea of them wrapping themselves up in a blanket I made or hanging one of my photographs on their wall to look at long after I'm gone gives me comfort. 

I am very thankful for my abilities to create things that I love.  During hard times, it helps me find my way back to my true self.  It helps me wind down after a long day.  When I feel like the corporate world stifles me, it helps me strike a balance so that I can be happy and successful at work and still know that I have an outlet for my creative side waiting after hours.  It gives me more patience to be a better wife and mother.  It makes me feel like me.

I think most artists and crafters feel this way.  This year, if you are given a handmade gift, just know you hold a little piece of an artist's heart.  Even if the person giving the gift didn't create it, they sought it out just for you.  They wanted to give you something that was part artist and part you.

I hope you have the opportunity to slow down during this time of year and just enjoy.  Just be.  I know I am.