Lost Art At Christmas

I remember learning how to write a letter and address an envelope in grade school. I believe it was in Miss McCutheon's 4th grade class but it could have been the 3rd grade with Mrs. Shackleford. I think we learned how to write in cursive in the 3rd grade as well. We didn't start that program until right after Christmas and our Christmas present from our teacher that year was a 4 pack of ball point ink pens; 1 each of blue, black, green and red. Anyway, by the time we were in the 4th grade, we knew how to write a letter in cursive, address an envelope and send it through the US postal service to whomever it was intended. Emails were about 30 years in the future and for most of us, cell phones, tweets, instagram and the like were even further away from 1969. Aside from the telephone, the mail was about the only viable method in that era of communicating with a distant friend or family member.

I don't know for sure, but my guess is they no longer teach letter writing in school. Consequently, about the only way you'll receive a hand written letter in the mail these days is from a "substantially senior" citizen who doesn't have access to a computer and doesn't know your cell number.
My great grandma (my Mom's grandmother) received this letter in February of 1917,  just a few weeks before the United States entered World War 1 by declaring war on Germany. I'm assuming the two friends hadn't communicated in a while as the letter begins "Well I suppose you will be surprised to get this letter...". The letter goes on to ask how my great-grandma and her family have been doing and other pleasantries. At the time of the "post" my great-grandma would have been 21 years old. I wonder what she would have gotten for Christmas that year. I wonder if anyone knows what she might have received for her second Christmas in December of 1896 when she was less than 2 years old. I suppose we'll never know the answer, but for some reason I thought about that tonight after watching her great-great-great granddaughter open presents on the eve of her second Christmas.

Christmas eve for two little girls separated by 118 years. Now that's something to think about!