Never Underestimate the Power of “Happy Mail”

When I was a kid, running to the mailbox to see what the post person delivered was really exciting. Fast forward to today and getting the mail is never high on my list of exciting things to do. It rarely even makes it on the list at all. It’s usually filled with bills, ads and the annual birthday card sent from my mom or mother-in-law. A far cry from the good ole’ days when that box with a red flag was stuffed full of what is now referred to as happy mail.

My birthday was last month. I was very surprised to receive a birthday card from a friend in the mail. It was from someone I’ve known since high school. We’ve had a friendship ever since. We now live in different states and don’t see each other nearly as much as we’d like. This small gesture warmed my heart so much. Don’t get me wrong. I still very much appreciate all of the calls, texts, and messages I traditionally receive on my birthday. I was touched that this friend (a busy mom of 3 boys!) took the time to send me this happy mail. Even something as simple as seeing her familiar handwriting made me smile.

Pay It Forward

Just before I received the birthday card from my friend, I had been meaning to send a quick note in the mail to another one of my friends. She’s back in school to pursue a career she’s been interested in for a long time. I wanted to let her know how proud I was of her. Part of me felt sending the note was corny. After seeing how much joy I felt from receiving an unexpected card, I went ahead and did it.

Make It Fun

I love having fun notecards on hand. Home Goods is one of my favorite places to find cool and inexpensive cards. I’ve also recently found some nice occasion cards at Aldi. If you have a few cards on hand you have no excuse to put it off.

Involve Your Kids in Happy Mail

My daughter has a friend who moved to Georgia last summer. They love to FaceTime, but they also have a lot of fun sending notes/drawings to each other in the mail. Seeing an envelope in our mailbox from her friend makes my daughter so happy. Exactly what it was meant to do!

My fellow blogger has also touched on a similar topic here. Do you like to send or receive happy mail or is it a lost art? Leave a comment to let me know!