I have my reasons. The mail is depressing. In years past I can remember the arrival of my Savage Sword Of Conan and Nintendo Power as a banner day of excitement.
I get a bi-monthly update from my parents church. I enjoy reading it as it lists birthdays and anniversaries that I always forget. Several Christmas cards that were late in arriving due to bad weather and a couple invitations. Some thoughts pop up as I look at the addresses.
I enjoy the yearly update letter from Aunt Lynn and Uncle Curt. I usually know most of what the letter will say but it is nice to open it up and read about my cousins. They always put a sentence or two at the end for Madison and I to personalize the experience. The other Christmas Cards are pictures of different children from relatives. Some under a tree in the fall, others in ugly Christmas sweaters (at least I hope that is what they were trying for) and even one baby in a bucket. Cute picture and great idea, even if the baby looked a little upset at having been stuffed in a bucket in the snow. Everyone is growing up fast these days.
The last two items were very interesting. A wedding invitation and a wedding shower invitation for two different couples who have managed to schedule their hitch'in dates within the confines of my Spring Break. I brush aside all of my other detritus from opening the mail (sans a fancy Co-op letter opener) and very carefully, ok, tear open the fancy envelopes. My fat fingers just don't have the cutting edge the old Co-op opener did. The invitation spills all beautiful and tied with a ribbon. Gorgeous paper, but the sentimentality is a little lost on single, never married me. I dig through the envelope for directions and such and stuck it to the refrigerator with all of my other mail that I don't want to lose.
This presented a quandary. I have weak magnets. The invite with its ribbon isn't that heavy but it won't stay up with just one magnet. I am going to have to go through the 14 other pictures and save the date notices and clean up a little bit. The hassle of trying to save this pretty invite so I can find the hotel and wedding after I fly to Michigan justify a prominent place on the fridge. Maneuvering magnets around my fridge I made it work. Two on the top and one the bottom. Just don't get excited getting a frozen pizza out and we will be fine.
The second invite I won't be able to attend but I sure do appreciate that they sent me an invite. It feels nice to be all the way down in the rebel south and still get invited to a deliciously decadent northern soiree. This invite won't go on the fridge but will make its way to the memorabilia sewing basket. (C'mon you didn't really think I would use a sewing basket for sewing did you?) This is the basket where all of the family mementos, pics and such go when they are sent to me. In this day and age I feel it is important to put aside some reminders of important days, objects that mean something to someone, and correspondence that meant enough to someone to take the time to write a note, lick a stamp and send it to me.
I mailed out my response card today. I will have the porterhouse at the wedding and I will be going alone. I can appreciate that the stamp is already attached and I don't have to lick anything. I wonder if I can still order a Burpee's catalog. I may not be able to grow a weed in Texas but it sure would be nice to look it over and remember why the mail used to mean so much. How many of you bet I forget the directions to the wedding on the fridge when I leave for Michigan?