There is a great line in a song by Wilco, my husband played for me last night on the drive home from Books & Company.
“I can’t find the time to write my mind, the way I want it to read.”
This pretty much sums up my state of mind these past two days—sorting and filing letters into categories isn’t always straightforward!
Take this letter from an older brother talking his sister through a rough patch after the death of their father:
"Personally, I don’t think you are “all screwed up & unhappy.” You continue to be the extraordinarily bright, sensitive & thoughtful spreader of light I’ve always known."
Or this letter from parents writing in response to their daughter’s “very, very, sorry letter” after an incident at Boarding School:
"Enough said. I think you and Annie have learnt the hard way and as long as you do learn from your experiences good & bad, that is all part of life & growing up. I can tell you from my mature years that it is a never-ending process and I suppose that is what life is all about. It is important not to hurt people and humbling to have to say ‘sorry’, but I hope you did particularly to the teachers who had to deal with you while you were “appallingly” (Di’s word) drunk & clear up all this mess. If you feel you haven’t done this in your heart don’t be afraid to do it now."
My impulse is that they belong in Counsel, but they could just as easily fit in Firm Ground.
Another recent submission that feels right for Counsel is an aerogram from an older brother serving in the flying corps in WWII:
"Hope you are still studying hard & making fair marks. You don’t know how lucky you are to be in Canada & at College. Some of the sights here are pretty awful. Children & older people are glad to eat garbage that we throw away... "
Last night I posted it the window alongside Richard’s letter from Counsel and tonight I left it up with some POW letters that I will file in History.
No doubt I’ll have to develop a system for cross- referencing letters —there is such beauty in the nuances.
Will write again soon,
Wendy
P.S. The XO poll continues. O’s for hugs are in the lead.
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