Real Letters

I have friends who write me real letters, on paper, sent with envelopes and stamps. I love them! The letters and the friends. So of course I am writing back, and I always take my time, talking directly to my friend as if we were chatting over a cup of tea. They tell me that they always smile when they open their mailbox and find one! Some tell me they keep my letters, and read them again, isn`t that sweet? One old lady had her daughter read my stories (about herself, things she had told me about her youth which I had remininiscented) on her deathbed. When I spent my high-school year in PA at age 16 (I, the German girl from Hamburg, was invited by a lovely old American! Incredibly wonderful!), I wrote many letters to my best friend Ulla who also stored them and later gave them to me, as a memory. Last week I took my time and copied them onto my email account, just for the fun of remembering and maybe sharing them with my future great-grandchildren. Haha, I was so wise at 16! If I couldn`t prove it from my letters, they would not believe it! For example, I told Ulla of a trip we had taken to Florida for Christmas. Very unusual for me, swimming in the Golf of Mexico when my family at home sat by the fire and unpacked presents on Christmas Eve. I said, Ulla, do you remember how we always dreamed ourselves away? How we sat on the beach of Sylt (an island in the North Sea where we used to spend some time together) and wondered how it would be like on a hot sandy beach in an exotic country, far from home? Now I am here, I said, in such a dream place, exactly like we had imagined. And you know what? It is totally different from what we thought - because HERE this is normal, not exotic. When you are here, you don`t compare, you just live on. Think of what to do next, perhaps buy groceries? Funny, that... Getting rid of illusions. And of course we were talking about boys too, how "HE" should be (as young girls do), and wondered if we`d ever find a match. So many marriages were unhappy! Sadly, this was true 50 years ago and has not changed. I suppose it has to do a lot with the misunderstandings between males and females. We expect the other one to "get" what we really want, even if we don`t say it, and are surprised and hurt if this does not happen. But we ARE completely different! Which is why we COME in two different shapes. It is a chance to look at life from a totally different angle! Only it takes some effort. And sometimes you will shake your head, of course. Sigh. My thoughts are meandering, away from my topic which was letters. What I wanted to inspire you to do is write more real letters! Maybe you`ll get one back, too. And then keep them. They will bring you joy, I promise! Take care and today look at your spouse in a friendly manner, haha! Cheers from Angela