Letter Writing Legacy
Before I cracked open the new package of Gorilla Glue mounting putty to hang the mini collages on the big blank wall above the bed/studio nest, I was reading Taos News online. I have a virtual subscription, which is fine … being a virtual Taos resident and all. I don’t really want to, but I first check the obits anyway because somehow I learned while I lived there that that’s what you do. I did, still do and likely always will.
I came upon the notice of Mary Ann Matheson’s passing. Why does her name sound so familiar? Once you’ve worked at Mabel’s, every woman’s name sounds familiar as you’re pretty sure that she’s a friend of the House. The House has a lot of friends, makes them easily and always has since Mabel moved in.
The obit says that Mary Ann passed away peacefully on Saturday, December 2. By all accounts, she lived an incredible life that included the Peace Corps, six years at Lama, hosting an annual “apple squeeze” in her Arroyo Seco neighborhood, and planting unusual flower beds “painted by some of Taos’ most renowned artists.” She was said to be generous in giving flowers and vegetables to friends and neighbors and even sold “amazing” dahlia bouquets at the Farmer’s Market. She also became part of the retreat staff at the St. Benedict’s Monastery community in Snowmass, Colorado, traveling there numerous times each year to serve.
Of all the wonderful things shared about her, the one that stood out to me the most was that Mary Ann was a prolific traditional letter writer. “She wrote letters everyday and maintained correspondence with far-flung friends all over the globe.” If someone’s letter-writing earns a mention in their obituary, then you know that this was no small passion. I love this about Mary Ann, even though we’ve just met … I think. Just as I’ve loved this about Mabel Dodge Luhan who most certainly wrote letters like it was a her job.
I love making the mini collages but have been stumped as to what I will do with them in time. For now, it makes me happy to hang them on the wall here in KC the camper so that I can enjoy them myself for awhile. I thought about trying to sell them (Etsy perhaps?), because an income stream would be most welcome. Alas, I understand that the images used, even little bits, could put me in the copyright infringement zone. I most definitely do not want that risk. Best to eventually give them away with best wishes.
Like Mary Ann and Mabel, I love to write letters too. It makes perfect sense, when the time feels right, to pop each one onto a card that will become a letter … a howdy from me from the road. In honor of Mary Ann. In honor of Mabel. In honor of everyone who hopes that the art of letter-writing lives long and well beyond them.
