Overdue Replies

Kim Haynes Johnson wrote a slice that mentioned sending post cards to her grandchildren so that they know the pleasure of getting mail.  I told her I’d saved a bunch of cards from when I was little.  I also realized I probably never wrote back.

Dear Grandma,

Sorry I took 58 years to respond.   Thanks for the post card with that cool new ‘astrojet.’  I got three new matchbox cars for my birthday that year.  One was a Lincoln Continental. You could actually open the doors, the trunk, and the hood.  I played with it for another six years, but somewhere along the line I decided I wasn’t a car guy.  Maybe it was a good thing that Uncle Michael and his racing cars lived 1000 miles away.

Love,

Peter

 Dear Mom and Dad,

Thanks for the beautiful picture of Maroon Bells.  Maybe this card was what inspired me to climb all those Adirondack Mountains.  The swimming was coming along fine, except that I couldn’t float and I was still scared to jump off the diving board.  Don’t worry, by 1972 I could swim across the lake and jump off the tower.  I’m a late bloomer, like those flowers, you know.

Love,

Peter

Dear Grandma,

Thanks for the card with the pictures of the pelicans.  I remembered that rhyme because Mom always likes to recite it.   I’m jealous that you got to see pelicans every morning.  Here’s a fun fact, 11 years after you sent me this card, I got accepted to that college I was waiting to hear from the last time I saw you.  I became an English major just like you, but instead of becoming a journalist, just like you, I decided to become a teacher…who writes.

Love,

Peter

Dear Farfar,

Sorry it’s taken so long for me to write back. Thank you for the card from Belgrade.  I’m glad the FBI didn’t notice that it was a picture of Marx and Engels Square.  They might have confiscated it.  You might be interested to know that Belgrade is back to being the capital of Serbia now, not Yugoslavia.  I’ve never been to either place, but I’d love to see the “Grey Danube” some day.  There’s more fighting in Europe these days. It’s sad and infuriating. Here’s a bit of brighter news:  Your great granddaughter, Sarah, who you never got to meet, is studying to be a Physicians Assistant now.  She’s very proud every time she finds the name of her famous great grandfather in an article or textbook.  

Love,

Peter

• Slice of Life