Letter Writing--a Lost Art? (Let's hope not!)

I spend a fair amount of time writing: journaling, book projects, blogging...but I am hard pressed to think of the time I actually sat down and penned a letter to someone. Can you think of that time?  Not a message on social media, an email or a text, but an honest to goodness pen to paper.  It can be very rewarding to send and receive an actual letter.  I wish I would write more often to friends and family, but it's just so easy to take the quick and easy way.  Think about the time you sent a letter, wasn't it gratifying and did it make you think..."Gee I should do this more often?"  

There are so many choices on how we communicate today.  Depending on what needs to be said, it may be something as simple as a quick text.  I'm from the generation that if you wanted to talk to someone it was as simple as picking up the phone...that was attached to the wall, of course.  We never had to worry if it was a good time or not...we just called. If they couldn't talk they would let you know, not having to "let it go to Voice Mail"  Granted, it is nice to have options for getting a message to someone.  Yet, sometimes I get nostalgic for a simpler way of communicating. That leads me to the nostalgic art of letter writing. It's sad that writing a letter seems to be "old fashioned" , but writing allows us to express yourselves fully.  A letter also provides the flexibility that the recipient can read at their leisure and take the time to soak in the contents.

I wish I was better about writing letters,  Once I sit down and do it I do find a certain sense of satisfaction and a connection to the recipient.  Several years ago I included in my New Year's Resolutions to write a letter to a family member or friend at least once a month.  A good goal indeed and I started out pretty well, but it fizzled out by the time the tulips arose. I would like to try to do a better job with this goal, but perhaps not strict quotas on how often or how many. 

After my Mom passed, among the photographs and other mementoes were packets of letters she had saved from my grandmother filled with news about things going on back at the farm in upstate New York. It was fun to read what all my cousins were up to as kids. Also, were several love letters that Mom had received from Dad while they were dating.  You just can't have a more valuable treasure.

 I was recently inspired on the topic of letter writing by my reading of the book: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans.  The book was a gift to me by my sister-in-law who thought I would enjoy it. (Thanks Christy!)  I did enjoy the book very much, but it had a slow start in capturing my interest. At first the main character seems like a bitter old woman who was quick to complain about many seemingly innocuous details in her life.  In some ways it prompted me to hold a mirror up to my own life; I hope I'm not becoming a bitter old woman. Yet, reading this book would make many people take a second look at their own lives and relationships and perhaps find a way to create better relationships.  The foundation of good relationships is good communications.

This book is structured as a compilation of letters written by and to the main character: Sybil Van Antwerp, a lawyer and divorcee who communicates with many of the people in her life via letters.  Some of them are emails, but still constructed in such a way as to be classified a letter. Also many of her letters were quite formal.  As the story continues, you begin to realize that some of her indignant attitudes are a mask for her own vulnerabilities.  One of the reviews of the book called it a "...masterpiece in human frailty."  I don't want to say too much more about the book to guard giving it all away.  It is a good read and an inspiration in many facets of one's relationships. 

So there it is...I really would like to improve communications with my family and friends and hopefully with an occasional letter or two.  I have bins full of fancy stationery, cards and stickers that  I REALLY should put more to use!  Keep on Writing!    Julie Etta Smith

Seeking Similarities

 In the current political climate, there seems to be so much divisiveness and strife.  The polar opposite opinions seem to pull us even further apart than "normally"...whatever normal is.  I frequently seek solace in my faith. In doing so, I am not trying to solve todays contemporary problems but to find the strength to continue to fight the good fight and to also find clarity and solutions for the problems at hand.  I also hope beyond hope that some of our community and world leaders can also find clarity and solutions. 

However, this is not a blog post about contemporary politics, rather it is about contemporary faith. It is amazing when you think how specifically different denominations have changed throughout history.  So many of the changes started with Martin Luther posting the 95 Theses to the door of the church, sparking the Protestant Reformation. In many ways that was just the start of monumental changes that continue today.

Any church that I have ever attended, the fellowship was comprised of many different backgrounds/ denominations.  It is rare to find an individual who was born, raised and died within the exact same denomination.  Many seem to have different spiritual paths. If you talk to your fellow church goers, in any church, I bet you will find a diversity of backgrounds. For example, there is probably a large sampling of Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist and also Catholic.  A little research revealed to me that there are 46 different types of Christian denominations! That number can vary depending exactly how you classify the groupings. With so many diverse denominations that still consider themselves “Christian”, there are characteristics that make each church unique, but also values that bring us together: the ties that bind.  Denominations within the Christian church are put in different categories based on different characteristics including theology and worship practices. Even though there are distinct differences in the worship, I truly believe that our similarities are more numerous bringing us together in weaving the fabric of our spiritual lives.

I myself was raised in a Unitarian Universalist church and I later gravitated to a Methodist church.  My Grandmother was a devout Methodist and I remember how comforted and enriched she felt by her Methodist faith.  I married my husband in the Methodist church and attended a Methodist church for years. We later attended a Presbyterian church, after moving we went to a Congregational church…then currently attend a Covenant church. Frankly I had never heard of a Covenant church before.  Yet, that’s the beauty of so many Christian denominations you can feel right at home when a church is following the teachings of Christ and honoring the wisdom that can be learned from the Holy Bible.

Another recent journey made me think of the ties that bind us as Christians, no matter what our denomination. While visiting my son is Alaska, we went to visit The Shrine of St.Therese near Juneau. It is a beautiful, serene setting paying homage to Therese de Lisieux, chosen as the patron saint of Alaska.  The choosing of saints is a practice by the Catholic Church and this was a place that was a Catholic pilgrimage.  Nevertheless, the beauty and serenity of the place made me feel very welcome, even as a non-Catholic. I felt open to being spiritually uplifted. There is a chapel built with beach stone, a walkway that goes through the woods and close to the ocean.  We even saw several whale spouts out on the water.

 Also on the property is a large prayer labyrinth. My son and his partner walked the labyrinth, in the warm September sun, and got quite the workout.  I spoke with my son about walking the labyrinth; he felt it was a long and winding journey, perhaps an analogy for life itself. Sometimes it would be tempting to quit, but you must see it through to the end. Yet, in following the path it also provided a mental “cleansing” of sorts.  Just as our walkway through life, it is a different journey for everyone.

Prayer Labyrinth at the Shrine of St. Therese

I’m sure there were differing spiritual backgrounds for everyone visiting that shrine, but there was a feeling of serenity and tranquility. There seemed to be a shared goal of peace and unity that transcended any denominational differences. So our spiritual roots may be diverse, but I think it is beneficial to uplift the similarities and not dwell on the differences.  As I mentioned before the "Ties that Bind" is a wonderful concept in how our similarities bring us together. The expression “the Ties that Bind” originates from a beautiful hymn:  Blessed be the Tie that Binds .(written in 1792)  It is an old hymn, but has the enduring quality of a hymn with a wonderful message. The message it sends is a powerful one: 

Blessed be the tie that binds, Our hearts in Christian love; 

The fellowship of kindred minds, is like that to that above.

Before our Father's throne, We pour our ardent prayers:

Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one.

Our comforts and our cares.

We share each other's woes, Our mutual burdens bear;

And often for each other flows the sympathizing tear.

There are differences of course in matters of our spirituality, but if we seek out the similarities, they can bind us together for strength, clarity and love.

    Julie E. Smith