Your piece triggered so many memories. Grandpa working with his hands. The trebuchet we built together ... you know, for when Babylon falls ;)
Everything he did was a lesson. He had a greater purpose that wasn't always evident in the work. Like a random act of kindness.
"They'll pay it forward."
I spent every day after elementary school with my Grandparents. Grandma always had us in the garden, weeding and watering. I loved pulling carrots. The surprise, whenever you'd pick a really big one. The bragging rights. Gramdma wouldn't chop it up for weeks. She'd take it out of the fridge and show visitors like it was a 10 pound King Salmon that I had caught.
She was always writing handwritten notes ... about the birds and the pesky squirrels getting into their food. The 10 cent gizmo we found at the garage sale. That glorious day we finished the patchwork quilt we had been hand sowing together for ages. I still sleep under it sometimes and it still smells like her linen closet.
My book took 20 years to write, because I wasn't writing one. I was asking my kids about their hopes and dreams every night. What's your story? Writing them down. The memoir was never the goal. It was about working with our hands, writing little notes ... together. The memories are what I cherish. The books is just what happened so we could capture them.
I don't always see the bigger picture, so I try to enjoy the little moments, enjoy the passing of time. Hopefully, our lives will be greater than the sum of the parts, even if we don't see it. So we keep working ... on faith.
Man, I didn't expect all this from the start, but you inspired me Lilly. Just writing this note feels strangely nostalgic, borderline deja-vu creeps lol. Thank you 🙏🌈 🐬💐
yeah this article almost made me cry when i read it last night. i spent my childhood and teenage years at my grandparent’s house almost everyday after school. if it wasn’t for them two my childhood would have been an abusive nightmare. they made it something i cherish even with all the beatings my psychotic drunk father gave me. no matter what he did, i always had a refuge with them just across the street.
Thank you for telling me I am not the only one who takes literally years to write a book. Personally if it is not good (aka just commercial fiction) then it is not worth writing.
editor’s note: apparently some people are not intelligent enough to understand that I am talking ONLY ABOUT THE IMAGES in the article. Lily wrote this. I just added the images because she isn’t good with graphic design and it needed them.
if anyone is wondering, i generated the crappy images for this article using my local AI server. they are not real. i just want to point that out because i'd feel odd about not doing it. lily said she has a copy of the sinseerly letter back at her parents in a filing cabinet and she will send me a copy when she gets home from college. if i remember to update the article with it, i will - but that most likely will not happen because i am lazy AND forgetful.
Lily that was truly the lovliest piece I have read in a very long time. It transported me to a field of wildflowers and birds. Some cherished memories fluttered back. Thank you for that.
Beautiful article Lily. I’m 74 and would write by hand more if my writing hand cooperated more with my brain and did not hurt so much. My grandmother, who has been gone since 1986, used to hand write wonderful letters to me and my wife when we were first married 48 years ago. We still have them. We pull them out on occasion to read and look at because we can her in her written words. And can hear voice speaking.
Interestingly, in the past two days I’ve come across several posts talking about the mental benefits of writing by hand. And then your pops up this morning. Coincidence?
Physical cards and letters can last years beyond anything digital, that can be gone the moment the power supply fails. I still have letters going back decades.
Loved this well written letter....in fact, your Grandma and I would be dear friends as we share the same activities and views! I'm 78. I write on paper, too. All my adult children text and most of the time, I don't know what they are talking about...I do use Pinterest for recipe ideas..my kids don't cook at all! I treasure my time and years with my Grandma, too...especially the smells that I remember from her kitchen...roast lamb was my favorite. And, I believe, too, that our passed family are in heaven watching over us...🥰 I feel blessed.
I still have some old stationery I have bought to write letters: fine paper and envelopes. Christmas cards. I have visited a foreign country recently and looked gor postcards to send to my grandsons. The young lady didn’t know what it was,.. postcards? Those ones with pictures from the city landmarks, landscapes...never seen one, she said. That's sad! Handwritten letters and postcards carry History. Details from centuries are kept on paper, old pictures, written words. We're living in a world of erased memories. No old boxes opened in amazement by third generations in the attic. They are afraid of spider webs, bugs, never seen a live chicken, never played barefoot in the mud.
TRUTH! Love this. One thing I've learned through this dystopian nightmare we are now living through is the enemy wants us to hate, abandon hope, and cave. We need to be stubborn enough to not only resist this but to purposely create beauty as an antidote to dispair. Everyone has the ability to create beauty whether it's via writing letters, building a boat, planting wildflowers, being kind to the new checkout lady, or showing up with a casserole. Every time we listen to the Spirit and act upon it with love, we tear down another brick in the enemy's wall. So thankful your gramma taught you well, Lily. You've just spread the beauty of her life thousands of times over.
We are 70. My wife makes all the birthday and Christmas cards by hand. Everyone is a custom card, thought out just for the recipient. Uncountable hours. Just like your Grandpa. For her, as for him, it’s all the therapy needed. And every card has a handwritten note.
Love this! I'm a 71 year old who has been sending uniquely hand written and hand decorated letters and notes on beautiful stationery and carefully chosen cards from very special stores in my area (some are even with my own designs or my late mother's) using colorful sparkly pens, stickers, 3D glitter and personalized return address labels since childhood. I do not plan on stopping ever. It is simply too delightful a soulful practice to quit!
I really liked the bit about the apostle Paul. Someday when I get to meet him in heaven, I’m going to thank him for his letters. Letters that are still being read over 2000 years later! His letters have blessed thousands upon thousands, they have certainly blessed me.
May the Lord richly bless you with wisdom and audience!
Wife and I were reminded of this truth once again this week when reading the Thank You cards handwritten and hand-mailed by our four grandchildren, which brought us both to tears.
Our daughter, now 46, was taught this invaluable lesson somewhere along the way and has instructed her flock (now all teenagers) to write these precious notes ever since they were old enough to use a pencil.
Timeless reminders of Love, we have never thrown a single one of them away.
Best of luck to all, especially those with such wisdom of the ages, learned early on.
I even still write and send postcards! It’s about feelings and connections to people through words written by hand, with a pen or pencil. It’s a human thing.
Well done Lily. Always nice when the humane touch is brought back in frame. It absolutely does get dark, but memories like these to help smooth out the sharp edges. Blessings to you both and your grand parents.
Your piece triggered so many memories. Grandpa working with his hands. The trebuchet we built together ... you know, for when Babylon falls ;)
Everything he did was a lesson. He had a greater purpose that wasn't always evident in the work. Like a random act of kindness.
"They'll pay it forward."
I spent every day after elementary school with my Grandparents. Grandma always had us in the garden, weeding and watering. I loved pulling carrots. The surprise, whenever you'd pick a really big one. The bragging rights. Gramdma wouldn't chop it up for weeks. She'd take it out of the fridge and show visitors like it was a 10 pound King Salmon that I had caught.
She was always writing handwritten notes ... about the birds and the pesky squirrels getting into their food. The 10 cent gizmo we found at the garage sale. That glorious day we finished the patchwork quilt we had been hand sowing together for ages. I still sleep under it sometimes and it still smells like her linen closet.
My book took 20 years to write, because I wasn't writing one. I was asking my kids about their hopes and dreams every night. What's your story? Writing them down. The memoir was never the goal. It was about working with our hands, writing little notes ... together. The memories are what I cherish. The books is just what happened so we could capture them.
I don't always see the bigger picture, so I try to enjoy the little moments, enjoy the passing of time. Hopefully, our lives will be greater than the sum of the parts, even if we don't see it. So we keep working ... on faith.
Man, I didn't expect all this from the start, but you inspired me Lilly. Just writing this note feels strangely nostalgic, borderline deja-vu creeps lol. Thank you 🙏🌈 🐬💐
yeah this article almost made me cry when i read it last night. i spent my childhood and teenage years at my grandparent’s house almost everyday after school. if it wasn’t for them two my childhood would have been an abusive nightmare. they made it something i cherish even with all the beatings my psychotic drunk father gave me. no matter what he did, i always had a refuge with them just across the street.
💔❤️🩹😿😻
Lily - I’m so proud of you and the qualities you have embraced. Grandma and Grandpa are looking down from heaven and saying “well done, my child. “
In today’s world you are truly outstanding
Thank you for all your insights and hard work.
Thank you for telling me I am not the only one who takes literally years to write a book. Personally if it is not good (aka just commercial fiction) then it is not worth writing.
editor’s note: apparently some people are not intelligent enough to understand that I am talking ONLY ABOUT THE IMAGES in the article. Lily wrote this. I just added the images because she isn’t good with graphic design and it needed them.
if anyone is wondering, i generated the crappy images for this article using my local AI server. they are not real. i just want to point that out because i'd feel odd about not doing it. lily said she has a copy of the sinseerly letter back at her parents in a filing cabinet and she will send me a copy when she gets home from college. if i remember to update the article with it, i will - but that most likely will not happen because i am lazy AND forgetful.
Thanks and I agree with everything you say.
I never stopped writing cards and notes.
Lily that was truly the lovliest piece I have read in a very long time. It transported me to a field of wildflowers and birds. Some cherished memories fluttered back. Thank you for that.
Beautiful article Lily. I’m 74 and would write by hand more if my writing hand cooperated more with my brain and did not hurt so much. My grandmother, who has been gone since 1986, used to hand write wonderful letters to me and my wife when we were first married 48 years ago. We still have them. We pull them out on occasion to read and look at because we can her in her written words. And can hear voice speaking.
I miss her still all these 40 years later.
Interestingly, in the past two days I’ve come across several posts talking about the mental benefits of writing by hand. And then your pops up this morning. Coincidence?
Physical cards and letters can last years beyond anything digital, that can be gone the moment the power supply fails. I still have letters going back decades.
Loved this well written letter....in fact, your Grandma and I would be dear friends as we share the same activities and views! I'm 78. I write on paper, too. All my adult children text and most of the time, I don't know what they are talking about...I do use Pinterest for recipe ideas..my kids don't cook at all! I treasure my time and years with my Grandma, too...especially the smells that I remember from her kitchen...roast lamb was my favorite. And, I believe, too, that our passed family are in heaven watching over us...🥰 I feel blessed.
I still have some old stationery I have bought to write letters: fine paper and envelopes. Christmas cards. I have visited a foreign country recently and looked gor postcards to send to my grandsons. The young lady didn’t know what it was,.. postcards? Those ones with pictures from the city landmarks, landscapes...never seen one, she said. That's sad! Handwritten letters and postcards carry History. Details from centuries are kept on paper, old pictures, written words. We're living in a world of erased memories. No old boxes opened in amazement by third generations in the attic. They are afraid of spider webs, bugs, never seen a live chicken, never played barefoot in the mud.
TRUTH! Love this. One thing I've learned through this dystopian nightmare we are now living through is the enemy wants us to hate, abandon hope, and cave. We need to be stubborn enough to not only resist this but to purposely create beauty as an antidote to dispair. Everyone has the ability to create beauty whether it's via writing letters, building a boat, planting wildflowers, being kind to the new checkout lady, or showing up with a casserole. Every time we listen to the Spirit and act upon it with love, we tear down another brick in the enemy's wall. So thankful your gramma taught you well, Lily. You've just spread the beauty of her life thousands of times over.
We are 70. My wife makes all the birthday and Christmas cards by hand. Everyone is a custom card, thought out just for the recipient. Uncountable hours. Just like your Grandpa. For her, as for him, it’s all the therapy needed. And every card has a handwritten note.
Thanks for sharing. You are a beautiful soul.
Love this! I'm a 71 year old who has been sending uniquely hand written and hand decorated letters and notes on beautiful stationery and carefully chosen cards from very special stores in my area (some are even with my own designs or my late mother's) using colorful sparkly pens, stickers, 3D glitter and personalized return address labels since childhood. I do not plan on stopping ever. It is simply too delightful a soulful practice to quit!
I really liked the bit about the apostle Paul. Someday when I get to meet him in heaven, I’m going to thank him for his letters. Letters that are still being read over 2000 years later! His letters have blessed thousands upon thousands, they have certainly blessed me.
May the Lord richly bless you with wisdom and audience!
Well done Lily, thanks so much.
Wife and I were reminded of this truth once again this week when reading the Thank You cards handwritten and hand-mailed by our four grandchildren, which brought us both to tears.
Our daughter, now 46, was taught this invaluable lesson somewhere along the way and has instructed her flock (now all teenagers) to write these precious notes ever since they were old enough to use a pencil.
Timeless reminders of Love, we have never thrown a single one of them away.
Best of luck to all, especially those with such wisdom of the ages, learned early on.
Sinseerly ;-)
~~ j ~~
"Handwriting but not typewriting leads to widespread brain connectivity: a high-density EEG study with implications for the classroom"
F. R. (Ruud) Van der Weel Audrey L. H. Van der Meer
Developmental Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
Front. Psychol., 25 January 2024 Sec. Educational Psychology
Volume 14 - 2023 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1219945
I even still write and send postcards! It’s about feelings and connections to people through words written by hand, with a pen or pencil. It’s a human thing.
Well done Lily. Always nice when the humane touch is brought back in frame. It absolutely does get dark, but memories like these to help smooth out the sharp edges. Blessings to you both and your grand parents.