Beau and I chatted with some of his family this weekend via skype and we were able to see our new niece being cuddled by *everyone else* thanks to webcam. I am less enamoured by the beauty of newborn babies when I don't get to cuddle them. She is very pretty though.
We were also informed of some very sad news. Two relatives have been diagnosed with cancer. They will be undergoing treatment, so all is not grim. It's difficult to wrap our heads around really as it all seems so far away and the news is second hand. I want to *do* something, but what? I could send a card, it seems trite, but I don't think I'd find it trite reversed. I think I'd understand that people are thinking and caring and feeling lost about being able to do nothing but send a card. Beau and I haven't talked about it at all. Maybe we will tomorrow on our walk to-from swing. We do our best discussions while walking.
Tonight I shall try and call *my* family. It will be my mother's birthday NZ time. I wanted to call her on mother's day, but was unable to as she had gone to Thailand for a funeral. It was for a family friend who was a mentor to her. Beau and I saw him when we were in Thailand. I'm so pleased that we made that effort. He was in good spirits at the time and talked to us both about his own illness while also giving my Auntie a bit of an english lesson. In thai, you modify people's names with their relationship to you. His was grandfather.
I feel so fortunate to be living in an age where our current level of communication technology is available. When my parents married and lived in Thailand, letters would have been the only viable method of communication to New Zealand. As a child I can recall calling my auntie at Mum's village in Thailand and someone answering the public phone and having to run up the road to my auntie's house to tell her there was a call. We have so many more options now, although I think letters will always be special.
When you see someone on a screen or talk to them on a phone or chat to them online you are still aware of a distance between you. When you recieve a letter, you hold in your hand something that they touched. These pieces of paper, this envelope, they are a physical connection between you and them. The ink on that paper came out of a pen that they were holding, that they might be holding right now.
Letters take a certain amount of planning, not necessarily in the writing, as people who have recieved mail from me know, there is a distinct lack of planning in the things I write or draw. But in order for a letter to be sent, one must obtain an envelope, stamps and actually find the time and place to post the thing.
Letters may also contain unexpected extras, like doodles, annotations and stickers! Sometimes letters are scented! I've had scented paper and scented pens before! Although not in the same letter. Sometimes you open that envelope and find that there are multiple letters in there. Glee!
The best type of letter though, is probably the one that comes with a parcel! ;)
Today I gave a letter to my Beau to post to my Jenni. The line at the post office was long and he had a bus to catch, so he'll post it tomorrow. He also rang me to tell me that my parcel from Satchimo-Sassa had arrived! I have a parcel at home and I know there is a letter inside!!! I've actually already prepared a return parcel, but I was waiting on the letter so that I could reply to it. Soon Sassa, soon!
Point of Fashion: turn for the worse
Current Obsession: parcel