“Just a Note . . .”

Have you noticed how unusual it is to get a personal, just-to-you, piece of mail from someone  with whom you have a relationship?  In this busy, electronically connected world, if we want to get in touch with someone, we send a text, e mail, or make a phone call.  But a letter — handwritten, just to you, almost falls into the category of a rare and precious thing.

I was reminded of the beauty and effectiveness of the written word recently when I saw a feature story on a news program about a simple, seemingly small action that made a significant difference in the lives of people struggling with their mental health.

It all started in 1969, when a psychotherapist who had treated many severely depressed, suicidal patients in a hospital setting was concerned for their well-being upon discharge.  So he created a team who wrote short notes to each person individually, expressing interest in them, and the hope that they were doing well.  The response was more than he’d imagined possible — patients were so grateful for this personal contact, and notes and letters came back, filled with appreciation for the kindness and attention.  Five years later, a statistical study showed a greatly reduced suicide rate in this group.

Believing that such a low-tech, unscientific-seeming method of treating mental/emotional illness could be so effective can be something of a stretch.  But however helpful and healing medical procedures and medications may be, human connections are remarkably, uniquely, beneficial.  There are ongoing projects of note- and card-sending for people who have undergone treatment for mental illness, and the positive results continue.

Throughout our lives, we have occasions to do something that feels quite ordinary, or not especially significant, but we don’t really know the effect of that small action.  When you throw a stone into a pond and watch the ripples move out, there’s a sense of movement beyond your line of sight.  So it can be with seemingly unimportant, almost trivial events.

As Christ’s people in our community, we can be those voices of friendship and connection to those who may be in need of a word of kindness.  Throughout the New Testament, new faith communities are instructed to be patient, understanding, and supportive of one another.  In Ephesians, we are told,  “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another.”  We also have Jesus’ words as he spoke of caring for others, when he said, “just as you did it to the least of these . . . you did it to me.”  (Matthew 25:40)

I’m a member of the letter-writing generation, and have always loved corresponding with family and friends.  The yearbook from my senior year of high school has long, silly, notes of reminiscence from my two best friends.  Sharon closed with, “Write when you have time, and if you don’t have time, write anyway.”  I doubt she was trying to say something profound, but the same value holds true when we may not have time for something, but we do it anyway.

Staying in touch,

Your friend in Christ,

Mary Rogers