I’m the Oprah-giving-out-cars-meme of mail. The nostalgia is strong in this one.
Greeting cards are a staple item for many occasions in my family. My pack-rat nature is testament to this – I have had to actively work to cull my collection of signed cards from birthdays, graduations, Valentine’s days, etc. of years past. (Funnily enough, while my own family never gave cards at Christmas, this is a key component of my husband’s family’s tradition, so now I have a collection of those as well.) When I was younger, these cards were simply handed over as part of whatever festivities were happening. On my birthday, I knew to avoid looking at the kitchen counter (by the mail sorter) for a few hours leading up to dinner to ensure that I wouldn’t inadvertently catch a glimpse of my card and ruin the surprise. When I left home, the cards did not stop – instead, they were delightfully delivered via mail. I distinctly remember getting a singing Cookie Monster card for either my 19th or 20th birthday and opening it, unwittingly, in the lobby of my dorm. I’m sure anyone in the vicinity got a kick out of my very startled reaction.
Sending mail is something that I have always enjoyed, in general. I am certain that I learned this appreciation from my mother (just like I learned my love of grocery stores from my dad). My mom sends cards, yes, but she also has declined to adopt online bill-paying, preferring instead the tactile confirmation of writing a check, stamping an envelope, and depositing it at the post office. I can picture her sitting at the dining room table, well-balanced check book close at hand, with invoices spread out in front of her. After a little while, the papers would find themselves organized into a neat stack of stamped return envelopes, tucked into the side of her purse, ready to be dispatched. As a kid in the front seat of the car, I would be responsible for pulling the envelopes out when we got to the drive-through post office box, checking to make sure that they each had a stamp affixed so as to make it safely to their destination. I’d hand over the envelopes, mom would check them again quickly and deposit them into the blue metal mouth. Now, sometimes I’m the one driving, as we make our way to some small adventure or another, and I find myself doing the same double-check.
There is a simple sense of satisfaction in putting something in a mailbox and sending it on its way out into the world. For what it’s worth, my coworkers would tell you that I find the same satisfaction in putting papers into the shredding box, so I’m not sure what that says, but I digress. For a long time, I mailed all my own bill payments in, largely because I just wanted to mail something. I’d set up my own bill-paying station and write out my checks, stamp my envelopes, and send my checks out into the world. Eventually, I decided that online bill pay was a better solution for me – mailing checks is great, but it only works when you remember to do it on time, yikes. While the click-and-confirm instant gratification of the internet is great, I found that I really missed sending things in the mail. I needed a fix, so I started sending cards.
When was the last time that you sent a letter or a card in the mail just because? If you haven’t done this lately, I highly recommend making it a priority. Find a card that makes you laugh, or that’s beautiful, or that just feels like it might make someone’s day a little better. Write a quick note, throw a stamp (support the USPS!) on there, and pop it in the mail. These days, it will take a little longer for it to arrive, but it’s worth the wait. As an extra bonus, treat yourself to a fancy personalized return-address stamp – you’ll want to stamp everything you own, I promise.
When I worked at Molbak’s, there was a woman who used to come in every couple of months and fill up her cart with greeting cards – a few of every different kind she liked, just to make sure she was ready for any occasion. I didn’t understand it at the time, but now I do. I look for pretty much any excuse to send a card. Birthday? You’re getting a card. Had a rough week? I’ll try and send a card. I found a card that looks like something you’d like? I’m sending it. I may be the rare person that enjoys sending thank you cards. In fact, I have to actively stop myself from sending thank you cards for a thank you card I receive. If I didn’t, Rick’s grandmother and I would be in a never-ending thank you card battle. Which, come to think of it, might be pretty funny. Sending mail may be a relic of days past, but you can’t argue with me that receiving a card in the mail doesn’t put a smile on your face, and by sending a card you get to create that smile. Put a little good in an envelope and send it out in the world. I promise, it’s worth it.
P.S. In between when I wrote this and when I posted it, I got a thank you card and baby E got a Halloween card from my mom in the mail. The best, I tell ya!
Hickmans at Home 