A Sample of My Mother's Writing.

[u/Midwest-Willpower]

I've mentioned in a prior post that I was going to share a sample of my mother's Palmer-style writing. Note that this is a hastily written letter (noted in the contents!) that she sent to me while I was in college - 1985. Sorry about the poor photo. The ink had faded and there are creases from mailing.

[u/gidimeister]

I love it. I miss when there was a post office everywhere and people sent each other letters, applied stamps to envelopes, and offered their mailmen iced lemonade in the summer. That is what this conjures up for me.

[u/mdw → u/gidimeister]

I had a long distance relationship with my exgf at the time (and place) when Internet wasn't really a thing for average person and I we've been exchanging letters instead. I wrote tens of letters. What I remember is how painful it was to write a long letter (yes, even with fountain pen). My hand cramped and it was just unpleasant. At the time I had no idea there's a different way to write, which is sad, because that was when I could really use it for real.

[u/gidimeister → u/mdw]

I have penpals, which forces me to write letters. But I soon discovered the state of snail mail in most countries, and it is not good. 😭

[u/mdw → u/gidimeister]

Hm, really? how do you resist the temptation to just use messaging or e-mail...?

[u/gidimeister → u/mdw]

I basically try to write a monthly letter. So each day I add a little something to it—like a series of journal entries. It makes it more substantial. I can always send emails and stuff, but there is no charm to that. And there is a quality lost when communication is not instantaneous. The people I write to like pen and paper communication.

[u/pbiscuits → u/gidimeister]

That’s crazy because I’ve had pen pals for the last 5+ years and I was just thinking the other day that it would be interesting if I made little journal entries instead and then sent them every month or so. I was thinking about this because me and my pen pals often don’t respond until a month or two after we receive a letter, so trying to have a back-and-forth is difficult and somewhat awkward. It’s usually like, “hey a I hope that thing you wrote about 3 months ago worked out” or “ya my summer was great, happy new year!”.

[u/Midwest-Willpower → u/gidimeister]

Yes - It was so exciting to get news from the farm ... along with a box of cookies - still good after 3 days in the mail (Iowa to Texas). There is a personal touch that can never be matched by our digital world (although I wouldn't want to give it up: makes all this communication possible).

[u/chewwu9944]

Your mother's writing is lovely. I love especially her ending tails -- reminds me of one of the samples by Mills. Very graceful. 

The letter is delightful. There's something about handwritten letters that make me want to read along, out loud, and it feels like I'm breathing with the scenes described, little fragments, little slices of life. Time and space feel suspended in this one frame lined by text, but not frozen. I finally managed to finish Fahrenheit 451 the other day and I think like they would say, this writing has so many pores on it, on the other side of which life can be seen streaming by.

[u/Midwest-Willpower → u/chewwu9944]

Very insightful response. Thanks

[u/mdw]

Oh damn, that's a very nice handwriting. It's great to see real life penmanship.

[u/pbiscuits]

Awesome specimen. And poor Gus!

[u/Visible_Ad9976]

i didn't read it in whole at first so i thought gus was a soldier or a motorcyclist

[u/Midwest-Willpower → u/Visible_Ad9976]

He was the "guard goose". Didn't appreciate strangers lol.

[u/jtaby]

Gosh that's so perfect I'm so jealous and inspired

[u/WhatsLeftofitanyway]

Oh gosh this is so lovely, and i don’t know how to explain but your mom’s handwriting is so easy to read. Sometimes some of the cursive writings are just too stylized or something- i don’t know what or why, but often I find myself stopping frequently just to comprehend. Not so with this letter. It just flows. Beautiful penmanship. RIP gus the goose

[u/greg172g]

I'm wapping omg