#oldfashioned

“Building an old-fashioned life in a modern world”

Not trying to go backward… just keeping what matters.

Slow mornings, simple kitchens, and a life built a little more intentionally.

04/06/2023

Dear diary:

My day today was more stressful and didn't take any pictures, so I decided to share an older picture and tell you about it.

This is a letter I wrote to an old penpal of mine, Max. It's one of my favourite letters I sent. I think it's very very pretty.

I used to penpal. And I had a lot of friends all over the world I wrote letters to. But not anymore. It's a hobby I'd like to have again.

I love letters, writing and receiving them. There's the expectation, the wait, and feeling the connection to someone else through a physical object.

I love letters, feeling someone else's feelings through the words they wrote to me weeks before. It's like looking into the future when you write them, and into the past when you receive them.

I just love letters. Not as remnants of the past long gone, but as a type of connection that can't be achieved in the same way with modern texting. Not to say texting is bad, it has it's good things, like how fast it is. But I do feel, sometimes what we need is to slow down.

Today's quote:

If you seek to generate equality within your relationship, then you will not have a stronger couple.

What you are actually doing is taking both woman and man out of their nature. Both get weaker, the relationship doesn’t work and in the end... nobody understands each other. No one knows exactly what to expect from the other, no one knows what to offer.

If everything works for anyone, then nothing works for anyone.

The woman is not the center of strength, courage and decision in the house.

Just as the man is not the center of love, zeal and sensitivity in the house.

When a woman takes on a man's responsibilities, takes responsibility for providing, protecting and leading... then she ends up too stressed to nurture people with love and care, too tired to build her family with her zeal and wisdom, and runs out of time to make everything more beautiful. The house suffers. It becomes lifeless, helpless and ugly.

When a man assumes the responsibilities of a woman, and accepts being responsible for nurturing, building and beautifying... so he ends up too insecure to go in search of what the family needs, too weak to protect the people around him and too accommodating to make a firm decision and make things happen.

The woman is the one who nourishes the family with her love, who builds everyone around her with her zeal and makes everything more beautiful with her sensitivity.

The man, on the other hand, is the one who uses his strength to go in search of the resources that everyone needs, who courageously protects his family from all the dangers of the external world, who takes the lead, makes firm decisions and maintains the focus to lead the family.

This is the harmony your home needs.

A woman nurturing, building and beautifying everything... so that the man has the emotional peace and quiet needed to provide, protect and lead.

A man providing, protecting and leading... so that the woman has the security and confidence necessary to nurture, build and beautify.