I still remember, as a young girl, running excitedly down our long, snowy driveway to the mailbox where I checked every day for letters or cards from my grandmother. She had been an avid reader, letter-writer, and pen pal friend to many for most of her life, spending hours journaling and sharing her life experiences...but her favorite thing was to write to her grandkids! Those were the days before people had computers to send emails from or phones for texting on. There is something so personal about a handwritten note. Not only does it have an individual's own, unique handwriting, but there is an awareness of how much time and thought the writer put into it. I've heard some say that there is "heart and soul" in one's handwriting. In today's modern age it is almost like finding a rare antique to receive a handwritten note. My grandmother would write about all kinds of topics; aside from the usual newsy goings-on of her life would be smatterings of newly discovered favorite recipes, cool names of boats she saw in the nearby harbor, and shared favorite quotes from poems and books. There was one letter, though, that stuck out from all the rest. I was around almost ten years old, I believe. When I reached into our rickety, metal mailbox the envelope felt heavier and thicker than other times. Hastily tearing it open, I noticed Grandma had written in cursive this time and the letter was about six pages long. She must have been feeling nostalgic, because this time she said I was old enough for her to share family history stories with me as well as advice for my future. I felt so grown up as I read about some of my grandmother's stories from when she was growing up! Some were humorous while others were sad. It felt like she was connecting her past to my present and future. She had also included a dainty white crocheted doily that she wanted to pass on to me. In thinking back on this memory, I realize just how very priceless my grandmother's love and care in the form of those passed on letters were. Now that she herself has passed on from this life, I treasure her writings even more so and attempt to continue the legacy of sharing family history, keeping good records of current events, and writing handwritten notes and cards for my own kids. Someday, I hope to be the same kind of grandma that she was to me.