Love You in the Mailbox

Handed down by:Kathy F. Harvey - Mom, Nana

I Love You in the Mailbox

Night time chores and the agony and ecstasy of bedtime rituals often made the evenings at the Harvey Home – noisy, chaotic – many times unmanageable.

What with checking on homework – “Did you do your science homework?” – checking on deadlines – “When is the history report due? Have you started it yet?” checking on clothes for the next day – “Has anyone seen Jack’s other tennis shoe?” It seemed as the end of the day was always the greatest challenge.

The desire was for everyone to be in bed, homework done, prep for the next day finished, baths completed with just enough time for family prayer, a bedtime story or two, and then that last minute of tucking everyone in with a good-night kiss and a call from the hall and bedrooms of “I love you.”

The warm feeling of hearing the calls of “I love you” would lead to echoes of the “I love you” refrain ringing from room to room with “I love you, too.” Which then would lead to “I love you, three,” “I love you, four,” and “I love you, a million.” One child always trying to one up the others until everyone was told, ”Alright, enough is enough – time to go to sleep!”

One night, either to end the proceedings quickly or to be incredibly clever, Jay’s voice rang out from his room with, “I love you, infinity.”

Now, who was going to be able to top that?

And then from the bottom bunk the sweet voice of the youngest, Jeffrey three years old, called out, “I love you in the mailbox!”

He didn’t know where “in finity” was, but he knew that he loved his family loads, so the mailbox must be a great place to love someone.

The house filled with the laughter of love as Jeffrey’s call warmed our whole family. And now, whenever I write a letter to one of my children, “I love you in the mailbox,” is my ending postscript.