In January 2015 I decided I was going to be more intentional with what I called Happy Mail in my journal. I took a blank page and wrote Happy Mail at the top. Next, I sectioned the page into the months of the year and under each month I numbered 1-4. I was committing to sending one piece of Happy Mail each week of every month for the year. I sent no piece of Happy Mail for response. I sent each piece with the simple intention of spreading happiness, joy and smiles. The best part was that every piece of mail I sat down and created generated those same feelings in me. I looked forward to setting the time aside for creating Happy Mail, but also had fun finding a fantastic card on a whim and sending it immediately.
Happy Mail is a piece of mail (card or postcard) which is delivered to your mailbox with the intent to share happiness, joy and smiles. It is about thinking of someone and taking the time and thought to write them out a special note in the perfect card you sifted through the card store for, or in a card that you took the time to create by hand. Happy Mail is for every celebrated occasion and every ”just because I was thinking of you” moment. It is about keeping the written word alive in a technology frenzy world.
Fast forward to July 2015 and my personal Happy Mail project led me to a woman who already had an established Happy Mail revolution going strong. All along I had been in the same Facebook group with Michelle Eades. Who knew she was the queen of Happy Mail? At the time I had no idea and then one post led to another and it became clear – I needed to connect with her. Eventually I sent her a private message with a picture of my Happy Mail journal page. I was so excited to find someone who shared my Happy Mail passion! We instantly clicked and she invited me to be a part of her Happy Mail revolution. In a matter of hours my personal 4-card a month Happy Mail project went international. I raised my goals for Happy Mail and I gained an inspirational Aussie friend in Michelle. WOW!!
Here we are in February 2016 and I am not even sure I can fully capture in words how Happy Mail has enhanced my life. The perfect Happy Mail card always arrives at the perfect moment and with the most spot on message inside. I have the privilege of mailing Happy Mail around the world and have formed friendships with women that I would have never met if it were not for Happy Mail. I have shared and received happiness, joy, smiles, support, encouragement, tears, fears and fun…all through the mail. As a group we celebrate holidays, birthdays, accomplishments and milestones, as well as support one another through hardships and heartache.
Happy Mail has been a positive addition to how Michelle and I connect with people and bring people together. Michelle and I have partnered to run Happy Mail Holiday Events. I am sharing Happy Mail by connecting classrooms and creating Happy Mail with students. I have also involved my own children even more in the Happy Mail process. Michelle organizes and runs various Happy Mail groups online. We may be keeping the written word alive, but we use technology and social media to connect in other ways too. Michelle and I have enjoyed several Skype calls; and Facebook helps the group to know others are receiving their mail (especially nice for overseas mail) and gives us a space to expand our friendships.
I no longer dread going to the mailbox to only find bills or junk mail because there seems to always be a special Happy Mail envelope waiting for me too. In short, it is like my own personal holiday when I get more than one piece of Happy Mail on the same day!! There is an instant rush of happiness knowing someone thought of you and wondering what is inside. My mail carrier has even picked up on my Happy Mail and said she loves delivering my mail because there is always a decorated envelope in it that makes her smile or a stamp she has never seen before. I adore having Happy Mail cards around the house providing random smiles throughout the day. I even have a special Happy Mail box to save my cards. Happy Mail fills my heart with JOY.
If you aren’t already sending your own Happy Mail, you don’t know what you are missing out on! I challenge you to take a few minutes today to send a piece of Happy Mail out to someone for no other reason than you thought of them. It will change your day and theirs.
