The Official Writing Challenge
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02/25/16
It would be a good idea to space your story with some good paragraph placement, giving us white space. You also need to re-read to see where punctuation is needed. It was certainly on target.
02/26/16
I enjoyed reading your 'mail'. :) I have no more red ink to add although I am trying to think how you could capitalise on that wonderful family atmosphere you created by ( and this is only a suggestion as I too struggle with making characters live) having your Mother pull a golden pumpkin pie from the oven as she repeated the news that the old coot went to jail. There'd be no more pie for the old coot for awhile. You'd have to watch your tenses though.
02/28/16
You can learn a lot from reading the mail. I am glad you had a family reunion to see the clan in person.

I agree with the last two critiques. You did more telling then showing.
03/01/16
Real letters in the mail were certainly important to family members who lived far apart. Thanks for sharing. I wonder if email has the same magical effect today as those, mostly hand written letters had in the past?
03/02/16
Your article flows nicely. I agree with the comment that you need a blank line between paragraphs to provide white space. Also, you have a run-on sentence in the first paragraph that needs both trimming and one more comma:

I was the only daughter with three younger brothers, I was often privileged to have the mail read to me, and when I was old enough I also got to read ‘the news from home’.

Here's how I would edit it:

I was the only daughter, with three younger brothers. My parents often read the mail to me [changing passive construction to active], and when I was old enough, I got to read 'the news from home' myself.