Old letter box

“It was lying there in that old frayed wooden box full of treasured nothings. She touched it and the memories of that day flooded her with overwhelming happiness.

The red coloured steel box hanging on door with white letters written across it boldly, spelling ‘MAIL BOX’ tugging her towards it to take a peek into the black interiors for a pristine white envelope (every day when she passed by the door she looked into it hoping to see a mail with her name on it only to have her hope crushed like a dried leaf). Like always when she saw the mailbox her hope’s sky rocketed, and as she neared it she sent a silent prayer towards heaven and glanced into the box.

She let out a small cry of joy! It seemed like someone had listened to her silent prayers….. Because sitting there with her name on it was a letter!

She wanted to jump, shout and sing but most of all just stand there breathing deeply the scent of that letter. It had a different fragrance, a pleasant but different fragrance. It smelt a tang like homemade glue mixed with a old wood seal and handmade paper. It was rumpled and had light finger prints on it.”

I have a fascination for letters. Not digitalized mail but the good old letter with stamps and seals on it which is delivered to you by the friendly neighbourhood postman. Even now when I get a rare letter or two I find my lips twisting into a happy smile on their own accord without me realizing it. Everyone at home recognises that smile. I hold the letter in my hand for a long time just appreciating the feel of it in my hand.

I have this habit of keeping all the letters I get, as each one of those letters has a special meaning and place in my heart. I read it like a 100 times before treasuring it away. And when I am feeling low or lonely I read them one by one till I have forgotten what it was that bothered me or till I am completely lost in the world of letters (it’s a beautiful place with a peace which only words can bring to your heart).

Sometimes I wonder why we have stopped writing letters to each other (again not emails). Emails just don’t feel the same. I feel there is so much more love and emotion in a letter which is not felt in an email. The anticipation while opening the letter, the sentiments handwriting can depict, the special smiley or a sketch just for you….are all lost in digital mails. I always feel that digital mail is very impersonal at best.