I was inspired by my recent good mail day. Grateful also, to still receive tangible goodies in the post. While we all live in a digital world and I’m a digital girl, it’s still nice to have things to fondle. Paper to rip and little postal surprises, y’know!
A good letter or parcel can make your week. Someone has invested time in carefully crafting words, licking gluggy stamps and physically dropping it into a postbox – just for you. Time is one of the biggest gifts there is! Of course, there is no receiving without something being sent first, so we should all get on board and spread some mail love.
Here are a few ideas to help share the good mail karma:
* Cultivate a delightful pen-pal relationship. Non-traditional of course! Mail local magazines, hard to find treats (in New Zealand in the 90′s, it seemed every kid had a penpal in the USA, to ensure a steady supply of Big Red gum), snippets of gossip you can’t share with your friends, mix-cds.
* Join in You Are Remarkable’s postal revolution.
* Make your everyday post the unexpected! This can be as random as you like. Pay your bills in parrot green envelopes! Write your addresses out in a luminous purple ink. Sending a contract to your accountant? Then why not draw a picture of a gorgeously holey wedge of Swiss cheese on the outside of the envelope? (That last one is real by the way, thanks Lazarescu. My accountant is going to think I’m a complete nutter, but that’s kind of okay…)
* Participate in A Home For Alice – send in a polaroid of your home and the story behind it. A very sweet idea.
* Send thank you cards. I am a firm believer in showing your gratitude if someone does something nice for you, and I love writing and sending notes of appreciation. As a total bonus, people will think you’re mighty polite in today’s zip-zap email world.
* Collect the most heinous local postcards your corner store has to offer. You know, the cringe worthy ones that you hope a tourist would never dig out, the ones covered in dust and priced with a sticker from 1992. Take the postcard and send to a faraway friend. Lines you can use:
- ‘Wish I was there with you xxxx’
- ‘Remember that time…’
- ‘This place sucks with out the glory of your presences, you’d make it one hundred times better’.
* Send a letter to your grandparent or favourite old person. You’ll make their day and feel better about keeping in touch. You might even get some reciprocal mail!
In the spirit of this post; if anyone would like a wee postcard/letter from China, please send me an email (amber@codeforsomething.com) with your address! I would love to bestow a GMD upon you.
❤
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I love good mail. I’ve had a penpal for the past 3 years or so and we’re like best friends, I adore getting mail off of her and we’re so similar in our tastes! Writing letters and thank you cards is such a dying art, I wish people took the time to do both a little more…instead of places like moonpig existing!
Totally totally totally 100% agree with all of the above! Would looove a postcard.. will be sending my address!
If you want to send your address back I can send you reciprocal tokens from London Town!
Hey Amber! I <3 your blog :) and this is an awesome post, am definitely going to take part in the Postal Revolution when i have the time! (am currently trying to find a job/finish/begin numerous projects but when I have time, what a cool idea :)) Hope DW is treating you well x
Becca: Awesome! Sounds like a keeper :)
Melissa: Aw yeah, heard your news. Could be a good opportunity for you to do something new & fun though! Goodluck :) DW? Hmmm? Heh, I’m sitting in China blogging, I guess it’s going great :D
I remember having a penpal…I used to look forward to the letters so much. These days the only mail I get is my bank statement…how fun.
Would love a postcard from China, will email with my add.