I forgot to check the mail yesterday, even though it was Entertainment Weekly day. (That's the best mail day!) I guess I just got busy. So Dan brought the mail in when he got home, exclaiming, "Someone sent you a package!" as he set the mail on the counter.
"A package? What is it?" I asked, excitedly hurrying to see. Dan gave me a look as if to say how would I know what's in this completely sealed package, but I ignored him as I looked at the return address. It was from an old friend from high school with whom I recently reconnected.
I ripped the paper and inside was a box of Girl Scout cookies with a note that said: "Just a little something to get you through the winter!" The sweetness and spontaneity of it touched me deeply.
There's something about snail mail that could never be matched with email. I have always been a sucker for stationary products. I used to spend hours looking at stationary, stickers, pencils, erasers, etc. when I would go to the store with my parents. I would admire all of the various things and occasionally I would be allowed to get something new for school. (In fifth grade, erasers were the equivalent to a new pair of Jimmy Choo's.)
Unfortately, personal touches are lost in an Internet world. An e-card is nice, but it could never replace the excitement of opening a paper card (from someone you like, mind you). And unlike people who send things because they think they have to, I got a package because someone was just thinking of me. That's it. And even though the box of cookies might not last very long, the thought of someone caring enough to send them will last a long time.
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2 comments:
While I hated writing thank you notes as a kid, I've come to embrace the hand written card as an adult. It says more than any other version of a letter.
That being said, the last time my doorman announced I had a package, I almost wet myself. I impatiently waited as he fetched it from the back, my eyes wide and my mouth salivating with excitement. Could it be from the most recent beau, a gesture to request I resume the role of girlfriend? Could it be a surprise trinket from my best friend in DC? Um, it was the six month supply of birth control I had ordered online from Canada. Sadly, I was pretty fucking stoked.
PJ: You're totally right. Handwritten thank you notes are SO much better.
Hey, birth control is STILL a package. We can't be picky about what kind of package we get. And besides, the last time I checked, 99.9% protection was exciting! :)
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