For the month of April it is letter writing month! I didn't realize this until someone told me about it. There is a website called Write_on that has stories of people that need a little lift in their life. You can write to them in any form and try to uplift their spirits. I also found out there are groups on Facebook like Worldwide Snail Mail or Canadian Penpals.
I accepted the challenge as I thought letter writing is just the coolest form of communication! I never really thought anything of it until I picked up a pen and piece of paper to see what I could come up with.
The very first letters I wrote to was my book club I wanted to start! I wanted to send some cute reading stickers and a bookmark to keep the ladies in the group excited about reading! Haha it was worth a shot but we only managed to get through one book as every ones life schedules didn't quite line up to continue.
This slide show below I wrote to people all over! I found different groups and ladies within write_on to try and write to! It actually was a little difficult to know if I would actually make it through the whole month with having someone to write to. I wrote to an old school teacher who I loved in elementary, a friend who's mom passed away, someone who needed an uplift from having a hard time, to a lady in the military, to some of the stories posted on write_on, places like Spain, China, Paris, Newfoundland, New York, Montana.... all over the world! Out of the 32 people I wrote to surprisingly the feedback wasn't as positive. I only received about 6 back... which is quite a small portion. In no way shape or form was a mad. It is the risk you take in writing and sending. It was my first time so who knows maybe some got lost in the mail!
I tried my hardest to communicate with those I was writing to. Not to just get their address but, to get to know them. To connect and maybe have some similar interests. To those who only sent me their address I did not want to write. That is where I felt my letters would not be responded to. It was a little disappointing to communicate with such wonderful ladies who seemed so accepting to write me back and then not getting anything felt like a punch to the gut. For me it's to talk! Make friends... have communication with people who don't live near me. To see a glimpse of what their world is like that is different from mine. I thrive on others peoples stories. Don't you?
My last letter for the month of April was a postcard. I sent postcards too! As there are lots of people who like them from around the world. There is also a website called postcrossing! It is free to send postcards and once you send one and it is received you will receive one from someone else. It is amazing such sites existed and I didn't even know!
Even though April is over I still write. I am a part of different groups and sometimes they give the addresses of the people in the group to send happy mail. Sending little quotes, drawings, fun words of the day, something for someone to open up and smile at makes my heart happy. Covid took its toll on a lot of us. I wanted to find a new hobby! Sketching flowers and using my creative talents is something I like doing on a daily basis.
And who doesn't love some mail they weren't expecting?!
I know my book club didn't work out but I thought I will try something new now such as a "travelling notebook". Just between my closest friends as we all live in different parts of Saskatchewan. And I hope we can keep it going over the years. Something to look forward to and something to have fun with! Just like the movie the Sisterhood of the travelling pants it's my take on a travelling notebook, cheesy right?
To those who wrote back and to those who are my new penpals I really cherish anything that has been sent my way. I am always cherishing the little things in life and I know I may not know all of you from the little package in my mailbox but it makes me hopeful that there are dozens of people who write and put a smile on peoples faces.
I encourage any of you out there to try it! just to see how you feel and how creative you can get! You never know what you could get back and whose heart you could of helped along the way.
Just like I end off in most of my letters "Keep on writing",
From
Your Flatlands Prairie Girl
-Nikki <3