Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Letters from my past

I know I'm mentioned before that I am a pack rat. Capital P, capital R, card carrying member of the Pack Rat nation. Unfortunately I happen to live in a very small house- just over 1000 sq ft. When it was just myself it wasn't too bad. But now there's a toddler running around with all the necessary toddler stuffs. Plus I work primarily from home, so there's a big computer desk in the livingroom and piles of work materials. I'm starting to drown in clutter. And you know if a pack rat thinks it's cluttered, then things have gotten BAD.

So I've resolved myself to clearing things out. Last night I thought I would start with an easy task- a hatbox full of old letters and cards. It turned out to be much easier to toss the majority of them in the recycle bin than I had anticipated but what a trip down memory lane! Amid all the old Christmas and birthday cards, there were several gems. Here are some of the things I found (of which I did keep a few):

- postcards my grandparents sent me when I was as young as 6
- the note from a friend who had just "stolen" my 8th grade boyfriend, begging me to still be her friend (I was one of her "most cherished" friends but, apparently, she never considered just not going out with Josh)
- letters my mother sent me- one every day- when I was away at camp for the first time
- a letter my sister sent me at camp which is just plain hilarious (I think she was about 10 at the time)
- notes sent back and forth during middle school where my friend Melissa and I did our best to think up crazy, intricate folds
- quite a lot of letters from the Australian students we hosted for a week each year in high school
- several letters from the boy I have, not so secretly, been in love with since I was about 13 (yes, a good part of me is still in love with him, but I think he's getting married this weekend)
- the first letter my mom wrote me after dropping me off at college freshman year and the letter my dad wrote me after driving me to college the following year (both of those made me cry)

I guess being a pack rat does have it's upside now and again.

5 comments:

one happy family said...

scan those precious letters and keep them on your computer

Anonymous said...

what a great idea to scan the letters! and it's this kind of thing that makes me wish I was MORE of a pack rat (and yet, somehow my house is still full of clutter - how does THAT work?)

veggiemom said...

Sometimes being a pack rat is not such a bad thing... :-)

Katie H said...

What...no crazy letters from college? I too have gone through old cards and letters and found a bag that you made for me "I am Katie, hear me roar" plus a thank you letter addressed to both of us from a particular frat house ...Hmmm...the memories!
And my brother made me the same computer birthday card 4 years in a row!!

Liz said...

Awww...those are things that you just have to keep. I wouldn't have the heart to throw them out either.