"Letter Prints" from Loved Ones

Just as each of us has our own fingerprint, which identifies who we are, the same holds true with our handwriting, which I call "letter prints." Recently I was deeply touched and moved by discovering the handwriting of two loved ones who are no longer in my life.

My mom gave me her beautiful sewing machine a couple months ago because she does not sew any more. She knew how much I love and enjoy sewing so she gave it to me when my sewing machine froze up on me. As I was going through the drawers in the sewing cabinet to begin organizing notions, etc. I came across an envelope that my grandmother had addressed to my mom. At that very moment the tears flooded my eyes. Like fingerprints, her individual cursive writing identified that this was written by my sweet grandmother. I was the last of my 3 siblings to get married and my grandmother passed away 6 months before I got married. She worked hard all of her life and I don't have any recollections of ever seeing her with idle hands. She cooked, canned and did beautiful crochet. I remember many evenings as she sat in her chair in the living room crocheting. As we were going through her things after she passed away I found a beautifully wrapped wedding gift for me and inside was a crocheted tablecloth and napkins. I think of her every time I use this on my dining table. One of my regrets is that I never asked her to teach me how. Now that I am older I have started to crochet by myself but what I would give to have her sit beside me and teach me her craft. Seeing her handwriting on that envelope touched my heart like a warm caress from her hand across my cheek.

Then, last night I was going through some books. My mother-in-law was another dear sweet person in my life. We shared a lot of times together both in church and family gatherings. After she passed away I became a lucky recipient of some of her craft books. I sat down last night and decided to peruse a small stack of her books and there inside many of them were little notes that she wrote in her distinctive handwriting. Once again my heart was touched and seeing her notations brought tears to my eyes.

It is hard to describe the feelings that flooded me as I saw these handwritten words of loved ones who have left my life but it is a definite reminder that they had an impact on me and the memories I carry forward in my life. I loved these two women, I miss them very much and I am going to keep these "letter prints" as a cherished gift.