Writing a Letter to Each Person in my Address Book
My daughter decorated this address book with puffy paint (my favourite paint medium).
This is 3rd Sunday which means it is letter writing day.
What kind of address book do you use?
- Hardbound
- Electronic (like in an IPhone or gmail contact list)
- File on your computer
- Don’t have one
I have a personal hardbound address book that is 17 years old. I also have addresses in my gmail contact list and I have an excel file with addresses. However, not one of these places has all the addresses. I look up addresses in order to send cards as a way to express my thanks, my concern for their well-being (get well cards and sympathy cards) and holiday wishes. I LOVE sending Christmas cards. However, I am not so good about sending birthday cards in a timely fashion.
Several years ago my daughter bought me a new address book. She even copied over the addresses in pencil (from the 17-year-old book) to the new book. Today I came across it and noticed that some of the people are ones I no longer keep in touch with because they have moved on figuratively or literally.
All these people are in my book because they were important. These folks meant enough that I took the time to write their address vitals in my book.They made a difference to me. Today I decided that I would go through the book and write a letter to each person and express gratitude for their presence in my life.
Below are the parameters of my address letter writing campaign.
- I will write the letter even if I know they’ve moved. Maybe it will be forwarded.
- If I have a personal memory of us together, I will share that.
- If not, I will thank them for their presence in my past life and wish them well.
- I will pray a blessing on each person or their family if the person is deceased.
- If they are still in my life, I will add their name/address to the excel list in my computer. That way when it comes time to send out holiday cards I already have an updated list.
- Do you keep an updated address book? If yes, what is your system?
- Do you send very many cards, notes, letters? Why or why not?
- When was the last time you hand wrote a letter/note?
- When was the last time you sent a thank you card? Yo whom and why?
Entry filed under: Letter Writing, Main. Tags: letter writing.
Fruitful Words 
1.
Jan | . at .
Today I put your letter writing meme on my blog. With links in that post back to you, I am just now seeing your 3rd Sunday letter writing post. I love this about you!
My address book is full with lots of crossed-out places, especially for my adult children who keep moving. I remember I once wrote an essay years ago for a TX teacher qualification test about what I would regret losing most–and I wrote about my address book!
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susan2009 | . at .
My address book looks like that too, Jan. Plus it has photos and other bits of paper. It is like a scrapbook. I think one reason I still have the 17 yo address book is because of the history it contains. The newer one is certainly very neat, but maybe too sterile.
Thanks for letting me know about the meme. I haven’t thought about it in a while. I will come over to your site this week and add my answers.
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Jan | . at .
I am wondering if I can add another comment–I wouldn’t want to write something to everyone in my address book, because there are way too many people! The four suggested in your meme fit more easily into my life. I’d be too overwhelmed with the other!
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4.
susan2009 | . at .
Good point, Jan. 80% of the people I do life with are in the address book (directory) from church (also my work). Most of these folks are not in my personal hardbound address book. I probably wouldn’t take the time to write something to each of them either.
I don’t want to become overwhelmed either. which is why I haven’t really given myself a strict schedule about how many people I will write and when. I want this to stay fun. I want blessing and gratitude to be the focus, not on how many and how fast.
That’s one thing I love about memes, challenges and writing at our blogs, we can take someone’s idea and tweak it to fit us for this season in life.
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5.
Uncovering History with an Address Book | Fruitful Words | . at .
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Kindness is Writing a Letter | Fruitful Words | . at .
[…] Writing a Letter to Each Person in my Address Book […]
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