So, this article isn’t an ode to the beautifully written historical love letters of all time. It’s about the value, the meaning and the beauty behind even the tiniest or shortest of missives that transcend a text message or email. You see, for many like me, handwritten notes and cards become treasures to those who receive them.
Call me sappy. Call me mushy or corny. I admittedly describe myself as all three.
When my girls were young, I’d often add a little love note in their lunch box. Or stick a message in a tennis bag before one of my daughters climbed onto her team bus. It probably said something like “You got this! Remember, 52%!” (tennis mental strategy: You only have to win 52% of the points to win the match; basically, don’t sweat a point lost, focus on the next one). I often scribbled “XOXO, Mom” on a piece of scrap paper and tucked it in their makeup bag, so they’d find it while in their dressing room backstage before a school or community theatre production. Once, I wrote “Miss you! XOXO, Mom” in plum-colored lip liner on their bathroom mirror before heading out of town for a conference.
They were little ways to let my girls know I was thinking about them, even if we were miles apart. That they were important to me. That they mattered and were valued. That even if I couldn’t be there in person, I was with them in spirit.
What’s really cool is when this expression of love carries over into their actions as adults now. Over the holidays, when my girls were home for Christmas, my papi started a part-time job. One morning, my middle daughter packed his lunch before he headed off to work. Later that evening, as I was washing out his lunch box, I couldn’t help but smile (and “awwwwww”) when I discovered the special note she’d written for her abuelo. Six weeks have passed since then, but Papi still keeps that paper in his lunch box.
Funny piece of Oliveras familia insider info: If you peek around our house, you’ll discover previous messages left and saved by several of us.
Like, a couple years ago, my middle daughter was visiting from up north. Her return flight left during the day, so that morning, I kissed her goodbye (yes, I teared up; remember my sappy, mushy admission earlier?) and headed to my day-job. That evening, when I was getting ready for bed, I tugged open my wardrobe double doors to grab my pjs and there, stuck to the inside of the left door, I found a love note she’d left me. Inside a drawer in my vanity, next to my face cream, I found another one. Over the next few days I found seven surprise notes in total!
The papers didn’t contain flowery words or prosaic poetry. They didn’t need to. What she shared with me was so much better. Simple, sweet, affirming messages like ‘You’re PHENOMENAL! I love you!” or an often-quoted line from one of our favorite children’s books, Love You Forever— “I’ll love you forever. I’ll like you for always.” Hidden treasures I cherish.