I receive hundreds of emails a week. I also find good ol' snail mail in my postal box every morning, but it does not come close to the volume of my electronic correspondence. The ubiquity of personal computers makes keeping in touch easier than ever. It's very satisfying to know that seconds after you click SEND, the recipient will be reading your thoughts and can respond in the blink of an eye. The old-fashioned written missive, which had to be posted in the mailbox, took three days to a week to reach the addressee. By the time the response came, I usually had to remind myself of what I was talking about in the original letter.

Now, not only can we receive an immediate reply to our questions, thoughts or comments, but most of the time, we will find a copy of the original message along with the response. Finding a copy of my own words at the bottom is very useful because with my increasingly deficient memory, I often need a reminder of what burning issue motivated me to write in the first place. Then again, there are those times, when I would prefer my original words had been lost, but that is a different issue.

Sometimes my bulging Inbox overwhelms me and I wonder how I am going to deal with it all. When I think about it, I realize I am lucky to have so many people who wish to communicate with me. Spammers aside, the vast majority of the emails I receive are from people who are reaching out in my direction to say hello, ask a question, provide information or bring a smile to my face with a joke. Every message I receive from an individual means someone is thinking of me. Far from finding the large number of emails I receive a problem, I think of them as a terrific compliment.

Sadly, our world can be a lonely place filled with individuals who crave human contact and support. These people would be delighted to receive letters, email or snail mail, just to know they are being thought of. It would be ungrateful of me, to complain about having so many people who wish to include me in their lives.

A large part of the mail I receive is from the members of my Megillah family. In the past four years, I have made many new friends and acquaintances through this publication. I am unable to give an accurate count of those I am in regular contact with, but I can say, the official number of subscribers alone exceeds 1,400. I also receive Megillah related mail from people who are not on the actual mailing list. I am blessed with an abundance of wonderful people who have become fast and close friends or friendly acquaintances. You all fill my life with satisfaction and a sense of usefulness and gratitude.

I urge anyone who feels overwhelmed with email to re-think the issue. Throw out the junk for sure, but be grateful for the personal messages you receive. You are indeed special if so many people think it is important to keep in touch with you, and make you a part of their lives.

As is customary, I wish to thank everyone who made a financial contribution to the Megillah fund this past month; your money has been put to good use. Our server fees continue to rise and the cost of information sources are constantly increasing. Unlike so many other online publications, we intend to keep our promise of never charging a fee for a Megillah subscription and membership. All we ask for are donations from those who can afford to help defray the costs of providing this service. Every little bit helps, so don't be shy. A small amount added to the rest, always makes a big difference in our ability to maintain the quality and continuation of the Megillah. Please click on the Tzedakeh box, on the home page, or go to this link for easy instructions, http://www.pass.to/newsletter/tzedakeh.htm.

Enjoy the dog days of summer. As the old song goes, "See You in September."

Much love to all of you,
Michael - Editor