Do people still send messages in bottles? I always wanted to do that, but I'm pretty sure I just listened to The Police instead. I also always wanted a pen pal. My sister had one when she was in high school; I think he lived in Brazil. By the time I was old enough to really be into it AOL happened and I had instant pen pals all over the place.
Still, one thing I've always loved is quality post. A real letter. Stamps in the upper right corner smeared with some post office's ink ... signed, sealed and delivered. Even through all these years of IMming I've still found time here and there to send my people some real mail. The reception is always marvelous. The giving is even better.
I can say "I don't know why I don't do it more often," but I have many reasons why and none of them matter at the moment because things are getting stamped. Mmmhm. That's right. It's all me, doing what I can to preserve the USPS--one dat-price-bet-not-get-no-higher Forever stamp at a time. I'm also doing it because I worry that the plight of The Postman (that dusty Kevin Costner movie) could soon befall us. I can't have my people being bereft of holiday haiku and oooh-I-thought-about-you note cards of general awesomeness.
But I'm also sending real mail because Girls Love Mail.
I know right?! It's fantastic. Picture it: someone somewhere has gotten this terribly scary news. They may have all the love and support in the world or they may not, but suddenly in one note they could have you. And we all know how great you are, so stop being stingy.
There's something so sweet and lovely about the whole concept of GLM ... I simply could not resist.
I'd forgotten how much fun I used to have writin' a li'l something special for someone. I didn't get caught up on the fact the pastels smeared all over the place, or my handwriting went all slanty cray after 45 minutes. I just remembered how I felt whenever I came home after a long day at work and saw something stamped with real, live handwriting on it. 
... And I folded that feeling up, stamped it and stuffed it in the mail slot on my way to just another day.
Because really, for some of these girls--and for any of us really--it was just another day until they felt something wasn't quite right, until the doctor gave them that news ...
So if you like this li'l bit of neat stuff as much as I do, grab that random card you bought that one time at Target, or the great stationery you're saving for something special or a good ol' piece of 4UrEyesOnly notebook paper and jot someone a well wish.
You can send me one, too :)
