A Tip for Keeping in Touch

by ALEXA

Flo knew the art of keeping in touch—of letting those she loved know it. She loved a lot of people. And she wrote a lot of letters. Right up until her very last day.

Letters From Flo

I really miss my grandmother’s letters and the flowing 1920’s schoolhouse script that filled each page.

In her lifetime she must have written more than 200 letters to me.

The last letter I received from her was written the day that she died.

Active and able at 94, she had run out in the morning for some groceries, a bite to eat and to drop a letter at the post office. That afternoon she pulled into her garage and peacefully died in her parked car while reading—none other than—the mail.

My grandmother knew the art of keeping in touch—of letting those she loved know it. She loved a lot of people. And she wrote a lot of letters. Right up until her very last day.

I remember wondering how on earth she found the time to keep up with everyone—to write all those letters. Then one day I discovered her secret.

A Tip for Keeping in Touch

My grandmother never left the house without a notepad and an addressed and stamped envelope tucked into her well-organized purse.

Letters were penned on the notepad in the spare moments of her day—in the waiting rooms of doctors’ offices, in the school staff lounge, in the car outside the commissary. Then as quick as she had written it, she would tuck the letter into the envelope and pop it in the mail.

That’s how she did it.

She didn’t have to make time to keep in touch. She simply used the spare minutes of her day to say;

“Hello.”

“How are you doing?”

“I am here for you.”

“I love you.”

Spare minutes can be found in all of our days. And in this digital age, letters are truly hand-crafted gifts of love. Rachel Stafford of Hands Free Mamma would call them “lifelines” in her book, Hands Free Life: 9 Habits for Overcoming Distraction, Living Better & Loving More.


“What I believed in and how I loved can be evidenced in my handwriting long after I am gone. Today I will not assume they know how I feel. Today I will tell them by throwing out a lifeline. What really matters in life is literally at my fingertips.” — Rachel Macy Stafford, www.handsfreemama.com


I think today I will tuck a notepad and an addressed and stamped envelope into my purse and just see what spare moments make their way into my day.

Tuck a notepad and an addressed and stamped envelope into your purse and stay in touch with those you love.

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9 comments

Edward Quaintance December 15, 2015 - 11:12 pm

Oh wow, so very moving … what a lady! Thanks for sharing this.

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Lexie December 16, 2015 - 4:46 pm

🙂 xoLexie

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Deanna Gillan December 16, 2015 - 3:02 am

That was beautiful and well shared. Your grandmother’s spirit lives within you every waking moment, and I too, will now share with others the simple gift of a handwritten love note 🙂

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Lexie December 16, 2015 - 4:45 pm

Deanna, oh does her spirit ever. I love you for taking the time to stop by and for your kind words! xoLexie

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Tessa Simpson December 16, 2015 - 1:47 pm

my eart breaks at many of the lost things in this new generation.No one can forget how awesome it is to go to the mailbox and open it up and see an envelope scrawled with your name on it from someone you know. It is becoming a lost art, I agree. This year hadn’t gotten around to Christmas cards and was going to let it go. But then I noticed that the quantity of cards WE have received has made a marked drop….only 4 this year so far when usually we have dozens papering one wall. I decided to fight the decline and make them happen. reach out to a those who are closest and let them know we are thinking of them. Thanks Lexie, great story.

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Lexie December 16, 2015 - 4:44 pm

Tessa, So good to hear from you! We’ve seen a decline, too. I always feel pressured to have that perfect family photo to include with our end-of-year later… to show off our perfect life. I just need to get over that and send letters without the picture or just take a silly candid and be okay with our perfectly imperfect life. xoLexie

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Cadry Nelson January 15, 2016 - 3:44 pm

This is such a sweet post and tribute to your grandmother. I also have a deep well of fondness for the handwritten letter. There’s nothing quite like receiving an envelope in the mailbox with your loved one’s handwriting on it. I am happy for the ease of technology, but it will never have the heart of a folded note with a stamp.

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Lexie January 16, 2016 - 11:16 pm

I agree … the letter is such a gift! xoLexie

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My Glutenacious Life January 28, 2016 - 3:06 pm

What a lovely memory you shared with us (and a good tip as well). I really like sending and receiving hand-written letters, it is a more personal way to keep in touch; however this is not that common anymore in this digital world. What I normally do when traveling is sending postcards to my loved ones, they actually love receiving this personal and hand-written present more than any other typical souvenirs (and they do that on exchange as well).

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