"Sorry It Has Been So Long"
Have you planned to write a letter but kept putting it off? You have your pad ready and your address written on the top left but that tv program you like just started. The football is on. You have to go shopping. Then when you really began to think seriously about it, the delay may have stretched into weeks, perhaps months. No wonder your letter may then have begun with the apology: "Sorry it has been so long"! Hey, I've done it myself; am doing it - man, I really need to write that letter.

You have probably received letters from others, apologizing for delay or a long silence. They realised just as you did that a reply should have been written more promptly. And the longer the delay the more awkward the situation may become, so much so that people have been known to give up the idea of replying.

Why is there this common tendency to put it off?

Many matters demand our time and attention. But we do make time for vital activities such as our job, eating, shopping and each night’s sleep (well, most of us). So, it is often a matter of making time to write to or reply to friends whose letters we have appreciated.

Why We Write

Perhaps it will help in coming to grips with this problem if we consider some of the reasons for writing letters to friends and relatives. In earlier times families used to live in the same immediate neighborhood. There was not the same need for letter writing. But today the situation is quite different. It is not at all uncommon for members of the same family to be widely scattered across the country, or even across the globe

Is there not a moral obligation to be concerned about one another, parent for child, child for parent, friend for friend, human for human? Surely lack of interest might be construed as being lack of natural affection!

But even apart from any idea of obligation, there is the distinct pleasure experienced when looking after the needs of another. It is even more satisfying than receiving a gift from someone. Your friends and relatives would surely be upbuilt by receiving some evidence of your well-being, a cheerful and newsy letter from you. Do you doubt it? Then just think of your own experience.

Few things are so gratefully and appreciatively received as a fine letter; even if it is only a short one. There is an excitement about it. It makes us happy, happy that someone has thought of us? And there is keen expectation as we break the seal. Up to that point it is a kind of mystery. What shall we find inside? It may be someone’s interesting experiences, that one’s expression of love for us, or an expression of kindness and thoughtfulness.

Imagine that! We can be the cause of such wonderful feelings in others.

What We Can Do

Even if you are very busy, is there not something you can do to keep in touch with friends and relatives? What about sending a notelet, card or a postcard? There is no need to write a lengthy letter. After all, how long are your texts to each other? Lengthy letters can be tiring, especially if the people to whom you are writing are also busy. The book Along the Road said: "There are many people who practically never write to old friends, because they have a feeling that if they write at all they must write at length. But that is a great mistake; and by this indolent reticence many good ties are broken. The point is the letter, not the length or the literary quality of the letter. And it is pitiful to think that a few words scribbled on a scrap of paper three or four times in a year might save a good friendship perishing listlessly from lack of nutriment."

There is no need to wait until you have enough material to fill a long letter. Indeed, it may well be that the person who awaits your letter is primarily interested in knowing that you are doing well, physically and spiritually. So, why not let him know soon? And, by all means, express your interest in knowing how they are doing.

Friendships are precious. Friends are keen to know and to communicate to each other the events and developments that affect them. Children and parents have a close bond. Kids away from home should surely want to know how their parents are doing and check to make sure they haven't rented out their room or sold their stuff (ha ha). And parents can write good counsel to their kids (mind keep it short).

Writing Can Be Enjoyable
Writing does not have to be a bore or a chore. You can jot down on a memo pad from time to time the things you want to include in your next letter. Perhaps you have some funny story to relate or some experience. Happy experiences to you will also be enjoyed by others. And be determined too, that your letter will be encouraging.

And you can always reminisce. That draws friends closer. If you are writing to parents, it would be fine to let them know you have not forgotten the many interesting details of life at home—that plant in the living room that mum had to keep replacing because she kept forgetting to water it or that tree in full bloom just outside the kitchen window. Is Dad still working on that shelving unit for the shed? Your asking shows that you care.

Yes, a letter can brighten someone else’s day, just as it does yours. Whenever you are inclined to postpone letter writing overlong, just think of all the good your brief letter can accomplish. Try to avoid having to start your letters with "Sorry it has been so long." Instead, write soon!

---

Kind regards,


Richard - Osprey