Mail Request

Remember how good it feels to find a unexpected handwritten letter in the mailbox? Letters are falling by the wayside, replaced by text messages and email. I have a girl who desperately wants to get some mail.

It hurts to see Alice race to meet the mail truck everyday hoping that today will be the day she gets a letter from China. She has sent close to a dozen letters back "home" and to date has received only 2 letters. Today it occurred to me that I could turn this situation into a blessing for Alice. We are still waiting for her to see her life with us here in America as something more than an education opportunity before returning to Beijing to be a teacher (like her favorite adult). Perhaps if she was to receive postcards and letters from our extended family and friends, while her letters to China continue to go unanswered, she might see the benefits of having a family and decide this might not be such a bad place to stay after all.

One of our sons is in California this week for work so I suggested he send her a postcard. Summer vacation spots always are a good excuse to send a card. Alice just "graduated" from elementary school. She's still learning about American holidays, so the 4th of July is another "mail" opportunity. Simple short notes, printed (she can't read cursive) would also give her more reading practice. Our hope is to see some significant increase in her English vocabulary over the summer in preparation for middle school. Anything to encourage her to read and to want to understand more is an added bonus to just making her feel wanted and loved.