It's in the Mail...

I don’t know about you, but every time I hear the US Postal Service is in trouble, I shudder. I do...literally. Yes, I know, we are all about the emails these days or if you can’t catch up that way there’s always Facebook and Myspace, not to mention text messaging, Twitter and a myriad of other online social networks to help you keep up with family – and total strangers, for that matter. Having an event? Send an E-vite. Birthday coming up? Send an E-card. Paying bills? Do it online.

So what’s the big deal right? Well, although I love the fact that MySpace and Facebook have given me the opportunity to contact old friends and family that I otherwise would have probably lost contact of - possibly forever -however, there’s nothing like the feeling of getting something good in the mail.

Just the other day, my baby sister decided to something special for one of my daughters. She knit her a scarf with a matching headband, bought her some funky jewelry, bright nail polish, a fashion book, two cards of encouragement and bunch of other stuff that would excite most teenage girls. Then she packed it all in a USPS box, addressed it to “Princess Gigi of the Fairies”, marked it “Priority” mail, and sent it off. Mind you, my daughter didn’t know of the package, but I did and every day I’d excitedly go and check the mail (you know, in case it came early).

The Post office was certainly on its job and just as promised – three days later the package arrived! My daughter wasn’t home, but I still called my sister and let her know that we had received it. Now it was her turn to get excited! You could feel the anticipation in the air; me walking around the package tempted to open it -my sister calling and text messaging – “Is she there yet?” -You would think we were the ones getting a surprise!

When my other daughter came home from school, she too, got excited about the contents of the package sitting on the table and before she could get sad for not having one of her own, I told her that her aunt was already preparing a box just for her. Just the thought of knowing a package would be coming for her was enough to put a grin on her face from ear to ear!

When Gigi finally got home we ALL stood around her as she opened her box and emptied out its contents. We tried on her scarf and matching headband, listened as she read her cards aloud and commented on how the jewelry choices her aunt made were so perfectly suited for her. And when the excitement died down, she quietly went into her room to call her aunt and thank her.

Bottom line is, I’ve never had this experience with an email. No matter how great. I know there are thousands of font styles out there, but none can equal even the worst handwriting when it’s in the form of a letter written just for you and sent in the mail. I doubt future movies with romantic plots will have people getting just as excited over finding their grandmas old emails as people get when they find a stack of love letters hidden in the attic.

I write because I love the feel of pen to paper. Period. Do I enjoy the fact that typing is faster? Of course. Do I find it exciting that, as a blog writer, my writings have the potential to reach the world via the internet? Of course, I do! I even enjoy the occasional funny or inspirational email or connecting with distant friends online, but to me, nothing beats good, old-fashioned, most times reliable, sometimes not, too slow for most people –snail-mail…

The Post office go out of business? Heaven forbid…

May you be blessed with some “good” mail today…