The Written Letter

The Written Letter

We visited old friends a few weeks ago. Olaf and Madeline. After 10 years or more, of remembering our times together in the Winters spent in Florida, and somehow not communicating, I picked up the telephone one day. 92 years young, she recognized my voice after a sentence or two. 

Madeline has taught me so much. Her work with reflexology, her insight and knowledge of healing herbs, and cell salts has been a big part of the life I've lived, trying to take care of me, and several other folks as well, you know how families are.

So my goal now is to 1. visit them, and 2. Call every week, and I'm getting ready to do just that. So much knowledge, so many good ideas which I somehow forget, and so much fun we remember.

So now for the visit. We got a room near their little town, and went about 7 to visit. Well, thinking I would find two oldies who were eating meals on wheels, and not moving well, we were welcomed with open arms, and supper waiting (way too long) for us. So even thou we had eaten, we ate again.  We tried to explain that we had purposefully came after supper as we didn't want them to cook. Madeline poo poo'd that one, and warmed up our share. 

Olaf was as loud and happy as ever, and still gives bear hugs. He added a chunk of wood to the stove, to "keep his wife's butt warm" and showed us a solid wall of WW11 medals, a proud grandson had looked into them and set it up for him. Impressive.  A recent slip and fall on some ice has only slowed him down a little, and he swears he is going to plant a garden this year, he may poke the holes for seeds with his walking cane if I know Olie.

So amid laughter, and memories, we visited on into the evening. Our plan was to leave early, since "you go to bed at 8", they both said they only do that out of boredom. We all laughed and visited on for a little while more--Jim and I were getting tired!!

Jim asked Olaf if he was farming any more, and Olie answered with a no. Why?-"Well", said Olie," I got a written letter."

"From who"?

"From Madeline. Nope, no more farming. Have you ever received a written letter, Jim?"

"No"

"Well, you'll know when you get one, Jim" 

That was how that discussion ended. Another subject came up and we continued our visit, but Jim and I are both thinking about the written letter. Maybe we need to write more letters, and maybe we never realized the impact of "the written letter". Think of the hand written Thank you note, almost a thing of the past, at one time a proper thing to do. Or the love letter to a loved one far away, how powerful. And the condolence cards with hand written words as our final written thoughts of those we have to say good-by to forever.

So now I have written all of this down, in my electronically submitted reproduction of The Written Letter. I hope the impact is the same. 

I need to call Madeline.