Last year for my friend Flisha’s 30th birthday, I wrote this on the card I sent her:
So I decided to go old school and send you an actual card for your 30th. How many of these things do you get these days, right? They’ve become so rare that maybe someday they’d be obsolete that having one in your possession would be like having a… well, an antique or an old painting, and you would display them on your walls or inside a glass case with a fully-equipped alarm to prevent robbers from stealing them and fencing them on the market for thousands or millions of dollars.
And every time you have guests over for tea or a social function or whatever, you would lead them to the glass case or frame or whatever housing this card and say, “Now this, this was a card that I got from my friend Dee for my thirtieth birthday. It’s the most expensive one in my collection because as you know, she became very famous, even more so after she died a mysterious tragic death.” (Wait a minute, why did it get so ambitious then suddenly morbid, all in one breath?)
The thought of all those people who will see this card… pressure! I must be eloquent! I must move them to tears! I must… Okay, I am getting carried away. As usual.
Yes, I write weird things like that on actual letters to people. And yes, I sometimes wonder why people stay friends with me.
But anyway, if someday, what I said about actual cards did come true, then I present to you… my treasure trove!
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| My treasure trove |
Okay so it hardly looks “treasure-y” in that oh-so-average can from Ikea, but this holds some of the treasures I hold most dear, even if actual cards never became as valuable as paintings. Unfortunately these are only the ones that I got after I graduated from college. The ones I got before then were kept in a gift-wrapped shoe box that got eaten by termites. 🙁
Let’s take a look at some of the things inside!
A Christmas card from my friend Flisha, the one I had sent that aforementioned card to. Unfortunately, eight years after she sent this, her wish for me still hasn’t come true! Oh Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo? ;P
A letter my mom sent me when I had just recently flown the nest. She didn’t know how to use email then, so the yellow lined pad paper it is! 😀 Btw, Langga is my nickname at home. It is a word in our native dialect Bisaya which means “beloved.”
A letter Cate wrote me when she was still working in Zamboanga and I in Manila. Now we’re flatmates here in Singapore. Life is so unexpected, right?
A Christmas card from my friend Gelle, back when we were still in Makati. We’re now both in Singapore too! 😀 We used to joke that we were lesbian partners and called each other “Sweetie.” Not sure if anyone mistakenly thought we were serious. I hope not. :-/
The one on the left is another card from Gelle, while the one on the right is from my college friend Joy. These Hallmark cards from the “Just between you and me” series were my favorite kinds because they were so heartfelt instead of just being rhymey. It’s really helpful for people who are not good with words, so they could just pick the card that said what they felt for them.
A Christmas card from my friend Elma. She was my high school classmate. We lost touch in college and only became friends again when we both found ourselves in Singapore.
Chi’s last letter to me before she left Singapore to move back to Manila after she got married. Chi, like Elma, was also my high school classmate whom I lost touch with till we found ourselves in Singapore. Luckily for me, we didn’t lose touch again even after she left here. We chat almost everyday on Line app. Thank you, technology!! “Master” is her nickname for me. I dunno why that is! :-/
Ngangi’s advance Christmas card. I say “advance” because we had agreed to exchange early Christmas gifts during our
Taiwan trip last November as we weren’t going to see each other over Christmas. Ngangi is Chi’s sister, and she also calls me “Master,” which has now somehow evolved to “Mastery.” The pair of them plus me and Gelle are a close group who call ourselves the meanies.
And if I had an advanced Christmas card last year, I also had a belated one, this time from Zenie, who sent this over with her gifts, all the way from Jersey Island, UK. Zenie and I were college close friends (who called ourselves the huggables) who went on to become roommates in Makati. We remain close even now, but now we’ve changed our group name to “rag dolls” after a friendship shirt we received from Gay during our
Bali trip. Haha. I talk about them and they talk about me in
this post.
Meanwhile, there is this very cute scrapbook that I got from my P&G friends when I resigned to head for Singapore back in 2008. It’s in my favorite color, purple, and they grabbed the front design from my Multiply site (this was a social networking site that became popular after Friendster, before Facebook, but is now no more). It’s so cute! I really love it!
Inside are photos of my memories in P&G. I was there for three years, so there are quite a lot. Mixed with the photos are notes from colleagues in our department, Accounts Payable.
My favorite note is this one from one of our bosses because he listed down the things they’ll miss about me, in bullet points, like a boss. Haha!
Warm fuzzies – you can’t buy that with money! These are the stuff that truly make me feel like “Langga.”And that is why I consider these to be my treasures!
What about you, do you keep a treasure trove too? What are some of the nicest things anyone has ever said to you in a card?
—;<@
This post is part of the A to Z Challenge, a blog hop that goes through the alphabet for all the days of April except Sundays. I have decided to go with the theme of Alliterations.
I LOVE what you wrote for your friend on her card- so clever. And I have boxes and envelopes full of old cards and letters. I can't get rid of them!
Thank you! Wow I'm jealous that you have boxes of treasures! Haha.
I like getting cards and keep my recent favorites where I can see them. And, yes, I still send them and enjoy picking them out.
That's a great idea – putting the recent favorites within view.
Hi Dee – this is a lovely idea. I'm terrible and usually just put my cards in to the recycling box after a few days! I guess that makes me a very bad person. And I'm throwing away future museum artefacts! Good post again.
That doesn't really make you a bad person, you know. 🙂
I can tell from your keepsake treasures that you are well loved…. That is worth more than riches. Have a great day
Thank you. I feel rich in that sense. 🙂
These old cards and letters form such beautiful and wonderful memories. I love going through my old letters, pictures and it is like transported back in time with s smile plastered on your face! 🙂
Yes, a time machine! Same way a blog does too.
Fun post! I still send cards to close friends and family members.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.preciousmonsters.com" rel="nofollow">Precious Monsters</a>
Good for you. 🙂
I just got done telling someone how I don't collect things, but I guess that isn't true. I have every letter my hubby ever wrote, and all of the ones I received from family members way back. I think I collect pictures mostly, though. –This is why a computer is amazing: keep every image stored in a single place. =)
Go back and tell that someone what you realized. 🙂
love this post. It's sad that this is a dying art. Of course my handwriting is so bad nobody could ever read my cards anyhow 🙂
Thanks! Haha, Doctor's handwriting?
Whoaa<br />I do lived reading it dee<br />It's not just a keep sake<br />It's a real treasure trove . Like yu said technology totally spoiled it all … And ppl seldom send cards <br />Ur lucky u preserved them<br />God bless u and yr friends <br />Fellow a to zer<br />Afshan
I meant I loved a lot reading it<br />Typed all wrong words . Thanks to technology and touch phones :)<br />Have a good day
Haha. Thank you! Technology spoiled something for you too.
Hey, these things are not so common these days in the FB/Twitter age. They are definitely to be treasured!
True!
I used to keep boxes of old letters but I ended up throwing them all out over the years b/c I just didn't have room. I have saved postcards, photos and envelope stamps from them though. Some cards do end up in my scrapbooks.
Yes sometimes you don't have a choice. But it's good that you did keep a few.
I loved this one. I too have all my X'mas cards i had received till date…I just love all these memories. 🙂
Yay for us. 🙂
I haven't sent a card (besides Christmas cards) to anyone in too long, you've just reminded me! I really should… That said, I also have a box full of cards, from our wedding, our baby shower, Christmases past. <br /><br />And I love what you wrote your friend =) I always imagine my journals and sketchbooks being worth tons when I'm rich and famous!
Hahaha, so I see i"m not the only ambitious one! 😀
Wow! Look at the time you spent for your friend! For your treasure trove box! Any friend worth their salt is going to appreciate exactly that: you took the time to do something for them. It looks like you know just what to do with old souvenirs and knick-knacks: put them to good use! I tried to write about that to keep some of your travels fresh in "<a href="http://repossible.com/