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HERE'S TO MORE BILLET-DOUXS
One of the fringe benefits of working in a rare book bookstore is I get to hold and see…books that were published in the 1890’s…books twice as old as me!
More often than not in these rare old books I’ve come to understand
when I open the cover I’m going to find a dedication…written by someone’s hand.
Some dedications are short…some long…most likely written with a pen…ink dipped…
and most are signed…’with love’ in a beautifully flowing script.
Today we communicate with each other so much faster…but not necessarily better…
for often lost in fast lane of life is the artistry of the love letter.
A letter where we take the time to think about a person…where in our hearts we look…and find the words then write a note…like those found in rare old books.
Taking the time and writing a letter is an art form all its own…
and when read by the intended person…where the seeds of love are sown.
Any word or phrase sounds better in French…at least I find that to be true…
and the French have a beautiful word for love letter…they call it the billet-doux.
Why, in today’s world, you may ask, should we take so long to write a letter that moves with the speed of a snail? Because nothing compares to the feeling one gets when they receive a love letter in the mail.
And don’t be afraid of the word love…because when it’s another person you’re thinking of…any note or letter or dedication in a book you send…is an act of love.
There is a euphoria one feels when they receive a personal note…
knowing you took the time to write it…and you thought about what you wrote.
Knowing it was written for our eyes only…not for the entire world to see..
gives the billet-doux a feeling of warmth…of friendship…of closeness…of intimacy.
Yes, as the world seems to move faster and faster…there is one way to fight it…because the greatest gift of any love letter…is the time we take to write it.
So here’s to writing more love letters…just imagine all the people out there who….
would love to receive a letter from you…their very own billet-doux.
