Project: Happy Mail

Don’t you just love it when you receive something totally unexpected in the mailbox? There, nestled in between the bills, credit card offers, and catalogs, you catch a glimpse of familiar handwriting on a plain white envelope. It’s a letter! A real letter! You run back to the house, gently tear it open and read it right away. After you’ve read it a few times, it goes in that box where you keep your letters; the box you come across every few years and rifle through like a well-worn scrapbook.

When is the last time you received *real* mail? Not e-mail. Not a birthday or anniversary card. Not a pre-printed holiday greeting. An actually note: filled with news, a funny joke, maybe a recent picture or article or just a quick “thinking of you.” My Grandma Mary is the only person I still receive letters from and I’ve not been as good at returning the favor as I’d like to be.

But we’re all really busy, right? We don’t have time to write letters properly. We shoot out an abbreviated, barely thought out e-mail when we catch a few free moments (or usually simply by necessity). Well, that’s about to change!

Introducing Project: Happy Mail. You (yes, you!) can take 15 minutes each week to brighten a loved one’s day… and most likely your own in the process. The key is being prepared (isn’t it always?). By making a list, assembling your supplies in one place and having a pre-made arsenal of letter-writing ideas, you’ll be on your way to making more of those connections that make everyday life so special.

Here’s how it works:

• List 52 friends and family members in a random order. You may want to list some people several times if you’d like to reach them more than once per year – husband, kids, special friend.

• Add “Project: Happy Mail” to your calendar for the rest of the year, once per week on the day you think will work best for you.

• Put together a Happy Mail kit and keep it where you have a nice spot to write and reflect… at your desk, on your kitchen table, in your bedroom, next to your comfy chair.

• Set aside 15 minutes, write it, stamp it, make someone’s day!

Check back tomorrow for more specific details on getting everything put together.