It is really fun to look back at these, and I have a collection of them that I will post from time to time.
How Do I Love Thee?
If Elizabeth Barrett had not written a book of poems which included one where she praised the work of Robert Browning, the two might never have met. Their hundreds of love letters, the poems, and Elizabeth’s sonnets to Robert would not have followed.
Even in this world of electronic communication, nothing replaces the special feeling we get when somebody has written a kind note to us by putting pen to paper.
It is far more romantic to have a pile of saved love letters tied with a ribbon or stored safely in a keepsake box than it is to carry our the sentiments of our beloved on a flash drive.
I may be the last of a dying breed, but I still send paper letters, thank you notes, Christmas cards and invitations. I like to leave my husband a sweet note where he might find it on his commute to work or at some point during his day. When my children were still in public school, I would always leave a short note in their lunch and include a sticker or a small gift.
When the children came home for school, I missed doing these small gestures for them. I also noticed that by spending so much time together they were starting to take each other for granted. About a year later I introduced “Love Notes” into our lives.
I went to Target and picked up this mailbox.
During the following week, when the boys did something I thought was special, I would jot a note down and put it in the mailbox. Then one day at lunch I gave them each a little pile of folded papers. As they read the papers their faces lit up with smiles.
Not only did they enjoy the compliments, but they also had no chance to rebut the kind words. This is a common trait of people with Aspergers Syndrome – accepting praise is almost painful and will often be met with protest or downplay.
Next, I invited them to join the fun. I put the mailbox in the kitchen and everyone could take part in the exchange of notes.
Sometimes we forget to check and a few weeks will go by, but I don’t think we will ever get tired of expressing our affection, appreciation, and admiration of each other.
