Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

  • Home
  • About
  • Books
    • Peace in the Process
    • Bringing Home More Than Groceries
  • Contact

(Out of the Blue} Real mail matters

September 26, 2013 by Kristin Leave a Comment

My friend Sarah and I text nearly every day. We can stay connected by swapping stories and updates via text because her voice comes through so clearly that way. And it’s not like our combined five kids 6 and younger would let us talk on the phone for any length of time.

Of course, she lives just 1.6 miles away so we do lunch or meet at the park regularly. We go to the same church and usually eat lunch afterward. But during the week, she has her 3 kids — almost 4 years and younger — in tow while I bring Ben to the mix. Her oldest and my youngest are just 24 days apart so they only know life with each other.

And we like it that way.

Sarah is a sympathetic friend who remembers details of any story I share and then follows up with genuine interest as these stories develop. She asks questions. She encourages. And she is one of the least judgmental people I know. {And she has great knowledge of and love for children’s books. She started a lovely blog where she reviews books you’ll want to get in your kids’ hands.}

Earlier this month, I was sorting through mostly junk mail when I saw a piece of “real mail” addressed to me in familiar handwriting. I noticed Sarah’s address in top left corner and opened the envelope to find a multi-page, handwritten letter.

These words she took the time to compose matter to me. She matters to me. This community we’re in together matters. And while some of our friendship is predictable in such a welcoming way, this old-fashioned letter was such a sweet, out-of-the-blue surprise. It was tangible love showed right there in my mailbox.

________

In fact, this letter and some other recent gestures have me thinking about ways to be a good friend, whether you’re local or long distance. So much so I have posts on those topics brewing for the next few weeks. Stay tuned! 



I’m linking up with Kristen Strong, who reminds me to notice the moments, especially the Out of the Blue ones. 

Want more stories? Like 152 Insights on Facebook. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram. Follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin’. Subscribe to receive “Insights in Your Inbox.”

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: community, friends, life

Comments

  1. Beth says

    September 26, 2013 at 6:30 pm

    There is something so special about a hand written letter. What a wonderful surprise that must of been and what a wonderful friend you have. 🙂

    Reply
  2. KristinHillTaylor says

    September 26, 2013 at 11:45 pm

    It's a lost art, huh? She's a good friend, for sure!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Let’s Connect

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter

About Me

Telling stories is my therapy and I love sharing them with friends on my porch.

The main characters in my stories are my entrepreneur husband, our eighth-grade girl who never forgets, our have-no-fear fifth-grade boy, and our joy-filled preschool girl. As we live out our stories, we seek God as the author of them all.

Learn more about my story here.

Subscribe for Updates

Recent Posts

  • Songs of Hope
  • Share Your Stuff. I’ll Go First.
  • Looking for fun, longing for Eden
  • How to make celebrations fun
  • Let’s go where trust is without borders

#PorchStories button

Join the Conversation

Join the Conversation

On Instagram

Seven weeks after quadruple bypass heart surgery, Seven weeks after quadruple bypass heart surgery, my mother-in-law moved home today. We were happy to care for her and we are thrilled she’s doing so well. 

I knew she was faithful and strong before, but watching her recovery from open heart surgery convinced me even more of her steadfastness and courage.

#TeamTaylor #livingfaithfully #reallife #choosingJOY
After three weeks, they’ve returned to school! H After three weeks, they’ve returned to school! Here’s to hope on a Monday morning for whatever comes our way. #momlife #reallife #choosingJOY #siblinglove
Often I don’t want the weekend to end or the sea Often I don’t want the weekend to end or the season to change, but I’m looking forward to Monday after three weeks of quarantine and sickness then snow. I’m looking forward to the snow melting away and eager for spring to bloom.

I’m grateful for health and family and home and a fresh start. A walk through the melting snow with the sun shining and temperatures in the 50s was a sweet spot today. So was gathering with friends we hadn’t seen in too long after church.

Just a few days ago I felt defeated and weary. Now I’m feeling ready and hopeful. Transitions can be rough, but ultimately I’m thankful for new mercies and new seasons.

#weekending #reallife #socialdistancing #countryliving #bettertogether #winterweather #springiscoming #choosingJOY #girlmeetschange #livingfaithfully
We’re sad tonight was the last #MurrayState home We’re sad tonight was the last #MurrayState home basketball game of the season, but we are thankful we had some live winter entertainment. Of course, games looked and sounded different than usual, but the season isn’t over and we’ll be rooting for our blue & gold. 💛 #WeAreRacers #RacerNation #collegebasketball #TeamTaylor #weekending #socialdistancing #thirdchild
We all benefitted from getting outside today. Hone We all benefitted from getting outside today. Honestly, I was so bundled up I got a little warm because somehow I now live where 30 degrees (that feels like 21) is a heat wave. These three help me remember to loosen up and enjoy the moment. ❄️ 

#momlife #snowday #countryliving #socialdistancing #choosingJOY #reallife #winterweather #kentuckyweather
I'm glad I was able to contribute to "Songs of Hop I'm glad I was able to contribute to "Songs of Hope (Vol. 2)", which was compiled by fellow writers @kerilynnsnyder & @sarah_e_frazer. This devotional spends 31 days in the Psalms. 

I share about Psalm 68 and how God built a sanctuary for me at our house in the country and how I want to share that with others. I end the devotional with these questions and a prayer:

"Songs of Hope" offers encouraging truth to bring hope to your weary soul. The devotional is a digital product so you receive the PDF immediately and can read it on any device.  There's a #linkinbio to buy this devotional and more info #ontheblog. #bloggerlife #authorlife #amreading #psalms #psalm68 #bettertogether #hope #KHTreads
I ended 2020 saying it had been a weird year, but, I ended 2020 saying it had been a weird year, but, truthfully, the first six weeks of 2021 have been weird too. Weird seems like a weak word, but I can’t think of another. These past six weeks haven’t been bad, have included plenty of great moments, and shifted so many things in our house. Through it all, my best friend Jaclyn and I haven’t gotten to hang out much.

I’m thankful Greg picked up her and her girls in his four-wheel drive truck yesterday after his short day at the office. We bundled up for some time outside, the kids had legit snow cones, we combined food to make dinner, and various people played various games. Jaclyn and her girls went back to their house this morning, but we are all thankful for old friends & new memories.

#bettertogether #winterweather #reallife #countryliving #snowday #livingfaithfully #choosingJOY
So far we’ve busted two pool floats and broken a So far we’ve busted two pool floats and broken a boogie board. ❄️ #summerpeople #poolpeople #summerisbest #winterweather #countryliving #reallife #momlife
We went from quarantine to snow day. We haven’t We went from quarantine to snow day. We haven’t left our house, but we are thankful for a change of scenery. ❄️ #TeamTaylor #winterweather #quaratine #snowday #countryliving
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Favorite Places & Projects

Categories

Archives

Copyright © 2021 Kristin Hill Taylor | Design by Traci Michele | Development by MRM

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.