Package time

I receive a very special package each month from a very special friend in California. When I moved back to Minnesota, we decided that we would send packages to each other on a monthly basis as a way of staying connected. There are no restrictions on the contents of these packages. Common items include new music, fabric swatches, recipes, some type of soup or dip or bread mix. But then there’s always surprise stuff, a T-shirt (from her), a stuffed animal (hand-sewn by me), a clutch (sewn by her), spicy pecans (baked by me), an apron (sewn by her). And accompanying the month’s items is a handwritten letter labeling and explaining each item…where we found it, how we made it, did we come up with the idea ourselves?, how much it cost, when we got it, etc. All very important.

I think what makes this package tradition so great is the time put into it, time spent thinking about what to put in it, time spent at the sewing machine making items, time writing out the letter. I mean, sometimes writing out the thought process behind some of the random items in the package can take some serious time.

And in a society where everything is so dang fast, this old-school, old-fashioned, time-consuming way of saying “I love you” warms the soul. It feels good knowing someone spent time on me. And we text and email and call regularly—all good stuff—and usually done a few times a day, but there’s something different about the time involved with USPS and stamps and pens.

Yesterday at work, I had a red envelope propped sideways in my little mailbox in the workroom. Ha! I smiled! Someone wrote me a letter! And sure enough, someone had taken the time to write out a congrats on my new home. They picked out a card and wrote in it, rather than sending an email. They took a little extra time.

My friend and I haven’t missed a month yet, although my July package to her just got sent a few days ago (Sorry, my dear.) We’re really busy so we may not always be on time, but we do always make time. I know this package will come, and it will brighten my day.