My, How Time Flies!

Seems like just yesterday, she was a young single woman experiencing the ups and downs of life on her own. Can it be that Cathy is now engaged? Oops, I guess it has been twenty some years, hasn't it? Immediately I thought to myself, "Gram would be so tickled!"

When I was in my first year of college, struggling with the "freshmen fifteen" pounds I'd gained, and wondering if any of those preacher boys would ever want to date me, nothing brightened my day like a letter from my Gram. More often than not, she tucked in some coupons or some "pin money," as she called it. I could always count on a few stamps, so that I'd have no excuse for not writing her back, although I didn't write nearly as much as I should have. But my favorite surprises were the comic strips she'd send, usually Hagar the Horrible or Cathy. Somehow it was always comforting to know someone across the miles was sharing a chuckle with you!

I've since tossed most of my class notes and text books from my college days, but I just can't part with those letters. Every so often I'll pull out the dusty shoe boxes overflowing with those precious missives and just revel in the memories they evoke. The stamps and money have long since been spent, and who knows what I did with the coupons and comics, but the memories are as fresh as ever. Gram's letters always started off "Dear Dinne" (her pet name for me) and ended with something sweet, like "Your ever-lovin' Gram Cracker! In between were bits of wisdom, prayers and requests for prayer, and an account of the days in the life of a woman who saw beauty in everything around her. Nothing brought her more joy than to bring joy to others. Even on her toughest days, she always managed to look on the bright side of things. That's the stuff memories are made of.

What about you? Are you a letter-keeper?