Blog/Newsletter

Believe me when I say that I am typically not one to follow the lives of famous people or to buy magazines about Hollywood stars. I do, however, take notice of and an interest in people who exemplify the best in us, who quietly model admirable qualities, who are honorable, and/or who seek to inspire us to be better and more compassionate people than we often are. If you have read my book, Please Write, you know that on rare occasions, I have been known to write handwritten letters of appreciation to people who I feel are true treasures in this world. Deciding who to write to is based on my own values and criteria, of course. I have only written to those who have…

This spring brought some familiar, old friends back to greet me – the sparse, tattered tulips planted by a previous owner decades ago, the allium plants, with their lovely, purple, orb-shaped flowers, and a small patch of Siberian Squill, which I have been nurturing now for several years. But the greatest joy this spring, came from seeing some new friends–a group of short, yellow irises which pushed through the soil in my front garden for the very first time. These heirloom irises, which came into my family some 80 years ago, have moved from state to state, and brought along with them precious family memories.   Their story began on a small residential lot in Wood Dale, IL. In the early 1940’s, my grandmother planted…

There is nothing much I like more than searching through antique stores and flea markets for interesting relics of our past. I don’t usually buy much, but I do find myself attracted to strange bits of history in the form of paper ephemera. This includes old magazines, postcards, advertisements, letters, sheet music, greeting cards and the like. I often love the graphic design elements they include and what these bits and pieces of day-to-day life reflect about the times in which they were created. Old paper ephemera can create a variety of responses in me—everything from joy, to amusement, to horror. These remnants of the past can, on the one hand, reflect the sweetness of simpler times, yet, on the other, show us at our…

One of the things that interests me most about handwritten letters is that they capture the day-to-day lives of ordinary and extraordinary people. Sometimes, letter writers describe the most mundane tasks, like hanging out the wash in sub-zero weather, or planting the corn in the spring. Other writers may go deep as they philosophize about the times in which they are living, with all its drama and challenges. Handwritten letters run the gamut of topics and viewpoints, providing a kaleidoscope of substance and perspectives. In other words, personal stories told in the form of letters bring our history to life. They fill in the gaps in what we think we know about history from books, newspapers, and journal articles. Instead of memorizing the names and…

One of my fondest memories is of our annual family camping trips to Apple River Canyon in northwest Illinois each fall. Over three or four different weekends, from Labor Day to mid-October, we would spend time there, down in the canyon, on private property (a farm), next to the river. My grandfather, a widower, and my uncle and his family joined us on these occasions. We’d park our campers together and share a communal fire pit, freshly dug spring, and good food. At that time, my parents, uncle, and grandfather all hunted in the fall—mostly for squirrels. Hunting was part of the family ritual, something my grandfather did from a young age to help feed his poor family in rural Missouri, and later to feed…

20. You will never find a cheaper way to give someone a gift of such depth and meaning. 19. Research shows that letter writing gives a significant boost to your overall sense of well-being. 18. You will be spreading love and caring in a world that seems increasingly chaotic and disconcerting. 17. Handwritten letters mean so much more to someone than rushing off a quick text. Take the time to show you care. It really is the small stuff that matters most to people. 16. Your letter will give a lift to the recipient. In fact, it could even change a life. 15. Expressing kindness and gratitude are highly underrated. Use a short letter to tell someone that you value the richness they bring to…