as of this writing, the christmas card, which one of my best friends  sent me last year, has not yet reached me. perhaps, it’s still wandering just like its addressee.

luckily, it was a different fate to the card which i surprisingly received from another dear friend, who is now  based in florida, usa.

despite the post-season receipt (it took more than a month to reach me), at least i was able to read the very affectionate message from ate tess (nee teresita r. aparato), who  took the efforts in scribbling those words which she could had just posted in my facebook wall or emailed me. i felt how important i am to her with this act.

similarly, beng (nee ruby p. bautista) had the same intent. in fact, she did not mention about it to surprise me. she only inquired about it when out of the people whom she sent christmas cards to locally and internationally, i was the only one who did not receive it.

a puzzle indeed! or better termed, a frustrating one especially to the sender!

knowing  this best friend of mine who is an eloquent speaker and writer (read her comments on several topics here in my blog), i am definite she had again meaningfully articulated her feelings and thoughts (which i am sure are solely for me) in that unreceived card.

now, whose inefficiency is it?  the postal service in manila  or in las pinas city? this is the query which could only be answered if investigated on. hahahahaha…between beng and me, i wonder who would ever decide to do it when we have more important things to accomplish.

well, this experience had me nostalgic when snail mail was the prevalent medium of correspondence between larry and me back in 1995.

to prove this, here are the letters and cards which i sent him!

yes, dear readers, my husband still keeps them.

and so do i!

seeing them again made me recall the time that i would spend in writing and mailing them at the central post office in lawton, manila. not to mention was the alloted amount in buying those cards, stationeries and of course, the stamp fees. international mails were obviously more expensive than those locally mailed. well, all these things did not matter when you are doing it  for someone whom you love.

nowadays, it’s a different story though. 

with the advent of technology, communication was revolutionized. if before we had to patiently wait to receive the reply for days, weeks, and months, now it’s only a millisecond. this change truly benefited all of us.

it is for this fact that friends and relatives who would still resort to the traditional way of messaging their loved ones have to be well-appreciated for sending a very clear and strong message that the recipient is truly thought of. to personally write those words instead of just copy pasting or forwarding greetings via the mobile phones, electronic mails, social networking sites, and electronic cards is endearing.

yes, gone were the days when one had to excitedly wait for the missive  from someone. gone were the days when rusty mail boxes were constantly checked. gone were the days when postmen were very important part of our lives because they were the deliverer of news, be it happy or sad.

i am thankful that i belonged to that generation who was able to experience and maximize the use of snail mail or smail. for me, it bore the human heart and soul…

thank you, beng and ate tess, for this sweetness. i know time and distance have tried changing the kind of friendship that we share, but we are all trying our best to guard it through these simple things that mean a lot.

and yes, i am still hoping that the christmas card will still be delivered to me. if it happens, it will already be an advanced one for december 25, 2013.