This post is part of a two-part series sponsored by Yahoo! Mail. It’s something I’ve been meaning to write anyway.

I am a saver. I have the shoeboxes (and baskets and files and more boxes) to show for it; cards from my grandmother, notes passed in grade school, mementos from vacations, flower petals from celebrations so long ago I have no idea who gave them to me. All of them live in my home, and show no signs of ever going away, unless they suddenly grow feet, steal a pair of my old Pradas and hoof it themselves.

This year,  I realized I don’t need all of it. Most of it yet, but not all of it. I decided I would finally toss the December 1989 Italy trip photo album with the long-ago ex. That’s a big move for a sappy, sentimental, nostalgic type like me.

There’s one box though that’s never going anywhere, and it’s a single file in my inbox that I’ve had for about six years.

I named it Mom Mail.

It contains nearly every email my mother has ever sent me.

Because if you had my mom, you would know how very saveable her emails are.

I’ve got long emails, short ones, funny observations, links I must follow, and a whole lot of You Go Girl rah-rah mom support. I’ve got poetic observations about my kids. Thoughtful wisdom about problems. Hilarious commentary about political news and articles I must read. Yet? Not one single chain letter. Not one “forward this to a friend and Bill Gates will send you $50.”

Not one sappy e-card with bad auto-play music.

Take note, other relatives!

Flipping through the file this morning, I love you can put together a fairly accurate portrait of my mom simply from the subject line.

See What’s Getting My Goat Today

re: ThankYouStephenColbert.org

This show looks so funny!

Blogs, yours

FW: Thank you for fostering an orphan elephant

FW: Anne Carson’s  “Gnosticism V”

When the pupil is ready the teacher appears

Re: Bosnia

Re: One more post on feminism. Nice!

For ‘EcoMoms,’ Saving Earth Begins at Home – New York Times

I hope today was better than you thought

Photo: Sage and Itchy and Scratchy

But of course, the best part of her emails are the little gems inside:

Thank you for the photos of Thalia. This gift, this child, this chance to see the future in a baby’s face.

How did the sleeping go last night? Send Nate to us for a week. Or send the baby to us. Yeah, that sounds good!

Haven’t you noticed that it is absolutely no longer cool to think about, write about, or wear fashion in these times? Even if you’re Kate Moss. Gay men and the staff of French Vogue are exempt.

Liz, I can’t tell you how excited I am to be able to read these intelligent, sensitive, literate words, ones that validate all that I feel-have ever felt-and will continue to believe long after many around me snicker and roll their eyes each time I posit an opinion. I’ve never been part of the mainstream, as you must know. I’ve paid the price, but the price of going along to get along isn’t even worth thinking about.

oh, my god…goddess. You’re asking the grandmother if this picture of the baby is perfect? Does a bear poo in the woods? If makes my heart sing. Mom

“I could make that sweater,”she said as she drifted off to sleep. “Oh, yes, I already did.” Then she remembered that she was no longer 35 and that her dreams had taken a different turn.

Dear Thalia, The peas are coming to an end for the year. We’ve picked enough to freeze and to make soup for dinner tonight. Please ask your mother or father to bring you here to pick more peas before they are mere memories. Or, figure out another way for us to get them to you.

Thanks for bringing me into  the 21st century with the newest symbols. 
:oP to the wet weather
🙂 to Thalia, Emily, Nate, and you
and a little 😉 😉 to the truth

I loved catching up with your blogs this morning. Reading what you’re thinking about gives me goose bumps. It’s one thing to be with you; quite another to hear the inner voice. I’m so happy to know the woman you are becoming. And I promise: the best is yet to come.

I’m not sure what I’m going to do with it all. I’ve thought about putting them together in a book. (But then someone beat me to it, rats.) Or maybe I’ll just put them together for my girls. What a gift to have  grandmother like this.

And what a gift for me to have a mother who does this in an email. Just because.

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This post is part of a two-part series sponsored by Yahoo! Mail which helps you keep in touch with friends and family in kinda the easiest way possible.