About the Author
Janice Gray Kolb and her husband Bob are the parents of six grown children and have nineteen grandchildren. Their life has revolved around raising a loving family with religious values. Other inspirational works published by Janice Kolb include: Higher Ground, The Pine Cone Journal, Silent Violence, Compassion for All Creatures, and Journal of Love. In a cooperative effort, Janice wrote Whispered Notes with her husband Bob.
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Letter Writing and Tapes
As our children began to grow older I was able to do more letter writing. Many of the letters were to personal friends, many the wonderful friends we had made when Bob was in the Navy and now were scattered across the United States. Other letters were to permanent shut-ins and some to those who were ill for a period and then recovered. As the years passed a letter writing ministry developed to many in nursing homes and even to some people I did not ever meet.
Every day I wrote letters and also wrote in diaries or journals, but I was not always as faithful to the journals due to lack of time. A dream was to one day write not only letters but books too, but during these years with our children growing up my writing was centered on mail. Bringing joy and friendship to others through spiritually centered letters also temporarily fulfilled my need and longing to write "much more." And so the letter writing I had loved to do since I was a child was now growing and at times out of control, for there was never enough time for all the wonderful things in our lives as a family. The letter writing was something I had to work in throug the cracks of family time.
With all mhy heart I can truly say that letter writting is a worthy precious way to lighten and brighten other hearts. And through the years blessing have returned to me over and over a thousand fold because in learning what a letter or card meant to an individual, I was blessed also by the often amazing words in reply. Most shut-ins never answered my letters and I never expected them to reply, and a large number of them were too ill to do so. This type of letter writing brings a special joy to the writer. To do something for love only and no returns is like a touch from an Angel.
Time, passing time and much writing, has allowed me to experience endless circumstances connected with the enchantment of writing letters. When I say "letters:, I mean letters from the heart. These type letters give you license to use any writing implements you prefer, any writing paper or any style writing you wish. You are the author each time of an original work and many of these "originals" are lovingly kept forever by the recipients. They are reread, treasured, and often stored in special places. This I know to be true because I have been told so again and again and also have been the recipient of many such letters. Soon we will have to build another cottage nearby in the woods just for storing dear letters I have received and for the growing amount of books I continue to purchase over the years. It is true!
Recently in the bulletin of St. Anthony's Church in Sanbornville, New Hampshire ws a very significant little paragraph tucked in between other notices. Father Edmund (Babicz) often puts unusual things in our bulletins and I felt this message most significant and hoped many would read it. I saved this message to include here.
Thank You
Gracias, Merci, Danke - in any language this phrase is a powerful motivator. Teach your children to write thank-you notes for every single gift they receive. Teach them by doing it yourself. The social art of writing our thanks seems to be falling by the wayside, causing a whole generation of youngsters to grow up thinking they have those gifts coming and that a proper, well-thought-out "thank you" isn't necessary. It is! Thank you isn't something we just teach our two-year olds to say after the nice lady gives them a popsicle. "Thank you" is something we say to everyone for everything all our lives. And when we've received an actual gift, even it it's as intangible as a weekend at Grandma's house, we need to say "thank you" and write "thank you."
Thank you Father Edmund!
