Setting up a tradition

Do you like to write letters? Have you written to someone recently? I mean the real, physical ones, on those dainty letter heads? I used to write plenty of them, once upon a time. Now with whatsapp and FB messenger and of course our mobile phones I hardly get around to it.
The more close we are to people the less likely we are to write to them. It seems just too formal, right? Perhaps that’s exactly why we need to write to them – a formal declaration, so to say, of our love or appreciation, a recognition of the many ways they make our life special just by being in it. Seeing it in writing makes it that much more real because it can be read and re-read and preserved, the happiness relived many times over.
Am I getting too sentimental? Perhaps! It’s the mausam to get sentimental, isn’t it? Tomorrow is Valentines’ day after all.
Back to writing letters – I’ve never written one to the children. I have often left notes for H and N, small ones – in their tiffins, sometimes on their tables but I’ve never written a full fledged letter. I write to them on the blog and hope they’ll read it someday but I prefer to have heart to heart conversations rather than taking up pen and paper – tweens are an impatient tribe you see. 
However in their tenth year I think it’s time I began a tradition – a tradition of physical cards/letters. I think there may soon come a time when conversations will not always be easy. A tradition of writing to each other may then come to our rescue. It is somewhat of a backup plan that I hope to put in place to make sure our communication never breaks down completely.
This Valentine’s Day I shall write out my very first ones. They’ll be easy to write for they’re letters of love, a great way to begin a tradition.
How about you joining me in writing one to your son or daughter? Or to any loved one – a friend, your spouse, your mum, dad, your roommate.
If you’re not sure how to go about let me share what I will be putting into mine. Well, not the actual letters of course, for those will be very personal, but a template of sorts. Take a look. I guess much of it is applicable to anyone you love.
1. I love you because…
you give the warmest hugs, the sweetest smiles
2. I love how you’ve grown to…
become more sensitive, more caring
3. I am proud of you when
I watch you sharing without complaining, when you talk of books you’ve read or facts you’ve picked up
4. I like how you take responsibility
to lay the table, to make your own breakfast
5. I know I can trust you to
be on your own at home, run errands for me
6. I notice the little things you do like…
switching off the lights, picking up trash off the society lobby
7. I love it when we…
read a book together, watch a film together, bake together
8. You amaze me..
with your insatiable curiosity
9. You make me laugh when you…
make your ‘cute face’, do your ‘happy dance’
10. The best thing about you is that…
you make friends so easily, you are quick to realise your fault.
There, that’s it. All you have to do now is get some paper and a pen and write your heart out.
Happy Valentine’s Day!

26 Replies to “Setting up a tradition”

  1. I do the same. handwritten letters- just amazing, and my loved ones gets soooo happy:-) LOVE it!!! Your ideas for things to write are so sweet – will copy a few… Big hugs to you and your dear ones, sweetie

  2. This is such a fabulous idea. There's something so beautiful about written letters and notes. The best thing about them is the time travel that you do every time you read them. Thankfully, we exchange letters with Aaryan weekly and that's one of my prized possessions.

    1. Thank you Shilpa. It's great that Aaryan's school encourages writing letters. They would make for such wonderful keepsakes.

  3. I do still write some hand written notes. Can't really call them 'letters', I suppose, but I do enjoy writing them. But then instead of going to the post office, I just email a scanned copy. Oh well! It's the thought that counts, isn't it? 🙂
    Maybe 2017 can be the year of long letters

    1. Yeah that's easier. I find it hard to write anything by hand. Whichever way it is – I think writing to someone is way better than saying it verbally.

  4. Among all things similar between us, I have to tell you I have always loved writing letters. I had these 2 friends whom I met everyday in college since we studied together in the same class, sitting on the same bench. We lived in the same city, had telephones too but still I wrote them letters once a week and encouraged them to write too. It was so much fun receiving those letters in the apartment's mail box. One of them still has all my letters and we laugh about what all we had written. Thanks Tulika for this warm post. This inspires me to write a letter to D right away with his 6th birthday coming soon. It will be simple but it surely be there.

    1. That is so cool. I used to write to my friends too but only during the summer vacations and because we had no other way to keep in touch.

  5. "I prefer to have heart to heart conversations rather than taking up pen and paper" – for me its the other way around. I am more articulate when I put it down in writing. But unfortunately my handwriting has gone for a toss and I abhor the thought of putting pen to paper…… and that is where the keyboard comes to the rescue 🙂

    1. Generally that's the way I am too but with the children I find I can say almost exactly what I feel. But I am definitely more eloquent in writing.

  6. What a lovely letter. And thanks for sharing this with us. Yes I remember those lovely letter papers and the beautifully scripted handwritten letters. Sometimes I would even make a funny sketch or drawing ……

  7. I used to write so many letters before… I even had pen friends. But with whatsapp and facebook I haven't even sent a postcard. This gives me the idea of leaving notes at least. Loved it ❤❤

  8. I love the idea, Tulika! I will do this on Sunday. I had such a warm happy feeling reading your letter. Hugs! I know they are going to cherish the letter. I still write letters – quite a few via email because easier to send. But for my uncle and aunt, always snail mail. They love receiving it, and I love writing it. I know they read them often 🙂

    1. That's such a good thing to do. I have completely lost the art of writing long letters by hand but I do manage to add short ones on cards that I send out.

  9. This is such a lovely idea! Letters from parents are treasures – I was lucky to grow up when letters were still the way to go. I have a whole stack of letters that my father sent me from his travels – and they are my most cherished possessions!

  10. This is such a cute way to say what we want and tells the other loud and clear how we feel. Everyone should inculcate this habit!
    I've written a physical letter, long back, when I was in school and had a friend who'd left the city.

    Loved your idea, Tulika 🙂

    Cheers
    Geets

  11. Thats a sweet one. Yeah technology has removed the personal touch that physical letters brought with it. And we have forgotten the beauty of these letters. My kids are small so haven't yet written a letter but have definitely left small notes on birthdays at home for them.

  12. I agree. We hardly ever write letters to the ones closest to us and as it is we don't really write letters any more. I remember that I wrote to my elder son for his 10th birthday and also got a few friends and relatives to send in handwritten letters. I think the son really cherished them. And then on his 13th birthday both his dad and I wrote long, sentimental letters. I loved doing it. I think I must write to the younger son too soon.

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