Anne Fogerty

Musings

Just some musings.

Notes from Nina

I’ve always loved checking the mail. Sifting through the junk to get to the good stuff. I smile every time I see a letter from my grandmother in her self-defined style of calligraphy - To Ms. Anne E. Fogerty - making my name feel all the more grandiose with big swooping lines around it.

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I know when I open a letter from Nina - Margaret Anne Fogerty, whom I was named after - I will be getting an update on what everyone has been up to in the Fogerty family (even my siblings and parents) - and some form of spiritual encouragement. I have a stack of 3”x5” notecards with hand-written Bible verses tucked away that have been sent via snail mail over the years. If I’m lucky, there may be a photo from times past - Nina recently sent a snapshot of me from my 12th birthday - in which I’m smiling next to two of my best friends, whom I’m still close to today. 

When I sit down to read these notes, I think of my grandmother pouring her heart and spirit at her desk to all of our extended family - three kids (and their corresponding spouses), eight grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren. In this world of instant communication, you would think I’d know what’s going on with cousins, aunts and uncles at any given point in time - but the reality is that I often find myself out of touch. I am thankful for her old-fashioned communication that allows me to pause and think about those I rarely see anymore whom I share a bloodline with. I know that these notes are just an extension of the prayers she prays everyday over our entire family.

I can’t remember the last time I’ve gone over three weeks in my life without a note from Nina. About a year ago, when I visited my extended family in North Carolina, I asked Nina to teach me her style of calligraphy. My attempts looked elementary as I tried to mimic something she has spent years crafting and perfecting. She didn’t care though; she was excited by the fact that I cared and valued her medium of expression and what some would call her love language.

While I may not be able to match calligraphic beauty of notes from Nina, my hope is that I can honor her throughout my life by encouraging friends and family near and far the same way she has... because everyone deserves a little mailbox love. 

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