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Life Lessons and Loves: The year of the stamps — and their many values Comment By Andrea Honaker The Gaston Gazette MailTribune.com By Andrea Honaker The Gaston Gazette Posted Mar. 13, 2015 at 7:22 AM Updated Mar 16, 2015 at 1:12 PM By Andrea Honaker The Gaston Gazette Posted Mar. 13, 2015 at 7:22 AM Updated Mar 16, 2015 at 1:12 PM » Social News I never cross paths with my postal carrier these days, but I’d wager to say that she probably thinks I’m a little crazy. You see, for the past year, I’ve been leaving her outgoing letters with stamps of varying worths. Rather than today’s 49-cents stamps, I’ve been attaching ones from 2 to 34 cents, and everything in between. This has been a good-for-me brain exercise at times, putting my feeble math skills to test. I just ran out of the higher-cented stamps, so my past few mailings have included smaller denominations that sometime stretch across half the envelope, which postal workers probably don’t appreciate. A manila envelope filled with stamps of all values made it into my hands last March after my grandmother passed away. Mamaw had received some of these stamps from her sister, who had collected them for a while, and bought others on her own. Now, before you stamp collectors start sending me hate mail, let me clarify that these are stamps from recent times and none of them appear to be rare or in mint condition. Mamaw was a wonderful woman all around, but letter writing was one of many areas where she shined epically. She was the most devoted of pen pals, sending out countless letters to friends and family each week. The U.S. Postal Service can thank her for a good deal of their profits. Mamaw enjoyed these correspondences immensely and made them a part of her daily routine. She updated her pen pals on what was new in her life and always stayed interested in the latest developments in theirs. Every note was sincere and thoughtful, written in her smooth, neat cursive. As she got older and her health started to fade, her penmanship got shakier and harder to decipher, and her notes gradually grew shorter. However, it was still evident that each scribbled word was filled with love and the most genuine of intentions. I kept a number of cards and letters that Mamaw mailed to me, and they hold a very special place in my heart. She never had to have a reason to send me something; she just did it to let me know she was thinking of me. And now, as my stash of Mamaw’s leftover stamps dwindles, it’s bittersweet. Of course, I have saved a ton of money by not buying stamps for a year. Mamaw would appreciate that greatly, as she was a woman who loved a good bargain. But more importantly, each stamp I press onto an envelope reminds me of her doing the exact same thing. And maybe in some small way, I’m keeping Mamaw’s letter-writing legacy alive. I think I’ll hold onto a few of the stamps in my stash, just to make sure I don’t forget. You can reach Gaston (N.C.) Gazette lifestyles reporter Andrea Honaker at [email protected] or 704-869-1840. Follow her on Twitter at @andi384 and read her blog at lifelessons.blogs.gastongazette.com . By Andrea Honaker The Gaston Gazette MailTribune.com By Andrea Honaker The Gaston Gazette Posted Mar. 13, 2015 at 7:22 AM Updated Mar 16, 2015 at 1:12 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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