An Invitation Letter to Friends
I don’t think that they came to see us. But it is the thought and effort that counts.
Dear Natasha & Jonathan!
Take a deep breath (or better a hot bath followed by a cocktail) for this is going to be a long story…
This gift is to mark the occasion that we’ve missed all of your important occasions so far such as Christmas, the New Year’s Eve, the 10th anniversary of you being happily not married, Jonathan’s birthday, Natasha’s graduation, and the new arrival of your cats (I do not remember their names, but these days I am not quite sure I remember mine).
So, we are clear with the purpose of this gift (not that every gift needs a purpose, but this one happens to have one). As for its combination, it was unwittingly left at my discretion as Natasha refused categorically to give me any hints. So, if you do not like it, you have a choice of being more cooperative next time or being stuck with my taste (questionable no doubt, as all tastes are). Maybe we will get you a nice “dust collector” next time (you are going to have a place of your own, after all, and those usually have ample space for storing dust collectors. Paying mortgage must have some rewards!)
Anyway, they say it is not the gift that counts, but the thought. So mine went this path…
“The gift will help Natasha and Jonathan set the mood for the party of planning their next trip to see us. They sit on a couch (they do not pick up the phone and are deaf to the requests from their numerous relatives and friends), relax, have a drink, put some music on, look at some pictures in the photo album and think “remember (Natasha, Jonathan) we have some friends who live in Toronto. It is not all that far. We will go visit them. We know that we are not only invited but also welcome, which is not necessarily mutually exclusive. Maybe we manage to see them before fall … (see the card)”
Some Q&A to follow:
Q: Oh, but they have a baby… A: We know that having a baby may not be a major attraction especially given your recent loss of a water fountain, but when you come visit us, all the damage can only be done to our place (think about it!)
Q: Oh, but they are on a diet…A: We agree that all that dieting might be off-putting to normal people, but it will be over soon. Nikolai’s ETA at the “Being Supermodel” destination is end of April, and mine is end of May. And we know that it will take you at least a couple of months to get ready and come to Toronto.
Q: Oh, but Svetlana cannot cook… A: My marginal cooking skills should not be an excuse either. After all, who could prepare a decent dinner, if one has to exclude pea soup, boiled eggs, mayonnaise, store-bought dressings, squash and potatoes? Only Jonathan with his Chef’s degree. But do not you worry, we can go out or, maybe, stay in and have some nice fresh cauliflower and a couple of grapefruits (Natasha loves those, I know!)
So, now you have to come. And maybe this time we will win a game of billiard.
There are only a couple thoughts left (you may now refill your glasses). The bear baby on the gift bag is not a distasteful hint (“where is yours?”), but simply an oversight on my part, I did not notice it as it was hiding in the folding. You can consider it (the bear on the bag) a little spy we sent to check if you are trying to get ready for the trip to visit us.
And my English is not perfect, never was, never will be, so please excuse all the pronoun shifting, run-ons, bad spelling, and grammar. The lack of thoughts clarity is however not language related, but you can excuse it, too, now that you are hopefully in the good mood.
So, please come and see us, both of you, we will be looking forward to it.
Svetlana, Nikolai, and Daniel
Rate this post:
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading ...
Posted on July 31st, 2009 under English, Professional Writing • Tags: creative expression, creative writing, Humour, invitation, letters, thoughts. •
• RSS 2.0 feed • Leave a response, or trackback
August 2nd, 2009 at 7:33 am
Amazing! Not clear for me, how offen you updating your http://www.altrealm.com.
August 2nd, 2009 at 11:41 am
The idea is to update the site every day, and I try to stick to this rule. Some days are better than others and at some point I won’t have enough time, of course. But for now, this web-site is my major activity.
I never believed in a lot of things in my life, but now it is a different chapter. I do believe that everything happens for a reason. The reason is beyond my understanding more often than not, but it is easier to live the life of acceptance. At least for me.
For example, this letter might seem odd and weird to you. These were our friends. Or were they really friends? I do not know. It does not matter anymore. But going through the old letters, everything that I wrote or did, going through memories hepls me understanding who I am. That is the main question that I am asking myself.
Who am I? What shall I do with my life?
The answer? I shall find.
September 28th, 2010 at 5:38 am
The bugs end up either spiraling away from the light, or spiraling inward. You see the ones that spiral inward, and the others just never catch your attention.