Had I never entered into social media learning, I would never have had this little bit of lovely pop into my life.
Last week after the Hamilton Spectator article featuring the work we are doing at Dundas Central appeared, I received a phone call from one Louise Siwak. Louise had been asked over the last few years if she had a daughter named Heidi and after seeing the article, decided to track me down to see if and how we are related. After exploring various avenues we determined that Louise was married to Stan, who has since passed on, and Stan was a cousin of my father.
When I mentioned the call to my parents, they remembered Louise and Stan well. It turns out that as a child, I was even present at their daughter's wedding. Our families had lost touch over the years, but now, because of social media, our paths have reconnected. Today, I received a card and letter from Louise in immaculate cursive writing extending an invitation to visit.
I showed the card to several people at work. We paused in wonder. When was the last time any of us had received a hand-written letter? It spoke of another world. A world of graciousness. A world that I remember. A world of eagerly peering into mailboxes hoping for an unexpected surprise. Another time and place. For a moment it made me very sad. It gave me pause. In our rush to connectedness, how connected are we? Really? I cannot tell you what was in the last 100 tweets and emails I received or even sent, but I can tell you what was in Louise's letter. I thought of the time it would have taken to select a card, gather paper and pen, write the text, purchase a stamp, walk to a mailbox and post it. Thank you Louise for taking that time.
Over the holidays I will visit Louise and bring my parents along to enjoy this little bit of lovely.
Last week after the Hamilton Spectator article featuring the work we are doing at Dundas Central appeared, I received a phone call from one Louise Siwak. Louise had been asked over the last few years if she had a daughter named Heidi and after seeing the article, decided to track me down to see if and how we are related. After exploring various avenues we determined that Louise was married to Stan, who has since passed on, and Stan was a cousin of my father.
When I mentioned the call to my parents, they remembered Louise and Stan well. It turns out that as a child, I was even present at their daughter's wedding. Our families had lost touch over the years, but now, because of social media, our paths have reconnected. Today, I received a card and letter from Louise in immaculate cursive writing extending an invitation to visit.
I showed the card to several people at work. We paused in wonder. When was the last time any of us had received a hand-written letter? It spoke of another world. A world of graciousness. A world that I remember. A world of eagerly peering into mailboxes hoping for an unexpected surprise. Another time and place. For a moment it made me very sad. It gave me pause. In our rush to connectedness, how connected are we? Really? I cannot tell you what was in the last 100 tweets and emails I received or even sent, but I can tell you what was in Louise's letter. I thought of the time it would have taken to select a card, gather paper and pen, write the text, purchase a stamp, walk to a mailbox and post it. Thank you Louise for taking that time.
Over the holidays I will visit Louise and bring my parents along to enjoy this little bit of lovely.
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