Day 79

I am grateful for letters in the mail.

Even when I was little, I loved getting a note in the mail. It was something special just for me, something someone spent time on and saw through just for me. It made me feel special.

I have a handful of friends who will write to me spontaneously. Cheryl sends the best cards. I don't know how she does it or where she finds them, but they are usually funny and perfect. Mae writes at least once a week, and vice-versa. Tina T and I write a whole lot less than we used to, but we have our moments. Belinda will send a card, and in her beautiful handwritten font, encourage and bless me with words and the hug that pops out of the envelope. All are cherished.

Thank You, Lord, for this medium of correspondence that continues to bless me.

Day 20

I am grateful for a real letter in my real mailbox.

My dear friend, Mae, corresponds with me by snail mail, and we are each to the other, the only one who does that. Technology has replaced this form of keeping in touch, and we are both grateful for a kindred spirit in this withering recreation.

She is an older lady, widowed a year, with a large family who visits and cares. She has friends and relatives here and out of town, and she mentions them often. She would thank me for writing to her and say that I'm the only one who does that. For quite a few years I thought I was the only one of the Ya-Yas who writes to her since she has such a broad base of people who love her. It was only last year that I realized I was the only one who writes to her.

Her letters are filled with encouragement, inspiration, personal insights, the Word, and often her own poetry. Mine are not so meaty and wise, but she must enjoy them as she thanks me every time. With her ascension into her 80's and her energy declining, I know it will not always be like this, that I will not always have the gift of her presence and influence in my life. Every post from her gleans a bouquet of thanks, and I add it to my "Mae Box." It contains each year's worth of letters, bundled in satin ribbon.

Thank You, Lord for my Mae, for "I have no one like her, no one of so kindred a spirit" (Philippians 2:20 Amp).