.
.
To my very dearest, sweetest readers of this blog!!!
.
Oh my word. You all jumped into the “Lift Someone Up Challenge” with eyes wide open and full of excitement. And I cannot express to you how much it inspired me to keep on going.
.
I wrote 32 letters this past month and every single one of them was from my heart and made me so incredibly happy to drop in the mail box. I was completely blown away with how it made me feel, how it made others feel, AND how it made each of you feel to join in the challenge.
.
A few things I did (and learned) as the month went on:
- In the beginning I wrote my notes according to the order of names I had on my list. BUT, after just a week I started scanning my list and writing my daily letter to the person that jumped out at me that day. It made the letters feel more genuine and heartfelt (to me anyway).
- I had a friend going through a hard month and I wrote a note to her three different times. I decided that it didn’t have to be a different person each day, if I felt someone really needed the continual “I’m still here if you need me” note I wrote to them again.
- I included on my list, and in my cards sent, the people I tend to talk to most every day…. my sister, my mom, my close friends. Originally (other than my Momma) I thought “I talk to them almost every day, I don’t need to send a note”. But guess what? Come to find out, I did need to do that!
- I didn’t let myself, one single time, feel like I didn’t have time, or that it was a burden or hardship to take a few minutes to write my note.
- I put together a little letter writing “kit” and took it with me to Arizona for the 8 days we were traveling. By doing that, there was no problem keeping up.
- And lastly… I was at a little store called a “liquidation store” and found boxes of greeting cards for just a few dollars. So be sure to check stores like Dollar General and see what you can find.
.
And now, let’s talk about the comments I received from my blog post last month. I would encourage you all to stop and go back to that blog post (click here to get there quickly!) and read all the comments. You guys… I cried reading a lot of them. They are beautiful, heartwarming and could be a blog post all their own. Please go read them.
.
Lastly, I learned something that I already knew, but needed the reminder:
BE KIND!!!!
We all have hard things. Some people have VERY hard things. For some, the struggle of daily living is a hard thing. And honestly, all it takes is a very simple act of kindness to lift up and encourage. Every one of us needs kindness. And these simple little notes that we sent out each day was an act of kindness. I don’t know about you, but that kindness came back to me in spades!
.
.
So… we have two winners of a set of my own greeting cards. And oh how I wish I could send every single one of you a set of cards! (But don’t stop reading after you see the winners because I have another surprise at the bottom of this post!).
.
So I let the computer do a random drawing and the the two winners are:
Vicky Mullins and Dianna/suny58
I have emailed you both for your addresses! If you do not receive an email from me, let me know at: redfeedsack@gmail.com
.
NOW for the very exciting news!!!!! Because this has been such a great hit and so many of you have commented on my blog post and many have emailed me…
I am offering another GIVEAWAY and this one is BIG!
I mentioned the letter writing “kit” I made for myself… is was rather thrown together but now I am designing and sewing up a few “real” kits and one will be reserved for one of YOU! To enter, you have a specific question to answer! I will pull the assistance of my recently graduated and amazing grand-daughter to read all your comments and have her actually choose the winner according to her favorite answer! So… here is the question:
In all the letters you wrote this past month, what was the most special response you got from someone that received a letter from you?
Let me know in the comments! And next month we will have a winner of a really awesome letter writing kit, custom made by me!
.
Above is a little letter writing packet I put together for my two oldest teenage grand-girls (sisters) as one of them leaves for college in the fall. A little encouragement for them to write each other monthly letters!
.
I’ll close here… with a really, really tight hug to each and every one of you!
.
Until our gravel roads cross again… so long.
Dori
Since my husband past a month ago, I’ve received a lot of letters and cards.
I’ve written so many letters back to them in thanking them for their kind words.
He will be greatly missed by all
I’ve been sending cards and letters to friends and loved ones my entire life….people simply don’t send mail anymore. The comments I get are: how you keep in touch is amazing; it is so thoughtful that you remember ( I send birthday cards and Christmas cards out all the time -mark the dates on my calendar); you made my day; Thank you.
Love the challenge, but it has never been a challenge for me, it’s simply what I do. Folks think I’m crazy – mailed out 70 Christmas cards this past December- but it’s my way of saying hello and thinking of you.
Several years ago I joined a pen pal group and, for a while, I consistently wrote letters, receiving a few responses, writing in response to these letters, just building up friendships “along the inky trail”. Then my life got busy and then busier and my letter-writing fell to the wayside. I’m quite disorganized and I felt very badly when I came across letters from pen pals that were awaiting responses from me, like, from last year. Over a full year, in fact. Many of us in our group would fit in the category of senior “Queen-agers” and I was afraid that many have passed on. I organized the pile and got to work on responding (and apologizing). Happy to report that a majority (so far) responded. Don’t know if I’ll ever meet these ladies but I’ll be more careful in attending to letter-writing. Some ladies have written that their pen pals are their best friends. I just hope that in my writing letters I’ll
be able to give them a hand of friendship and encouragement. Marge, Farmgirl #7915
I love your “lift someone up” challenge. I have note card that are stamped and ready to go in my “Bible basket”. It is a basket that includes my Bible, a small candle and lighter, a devotional book, a notebook and a couple of pens & pencils, and a packet of note cards with stamped envelopes and a small address book. When I first started using my basket I would take it somewhere quiet and made sure I wrote a note each time but I got out of the habit when life got crazy. Your challenge prompted me to refresh my basket and get going again. I always pray for those I’m writing notes to. Sometimes I get a response back, sometimes not. Last month I got a lovely handwritten letter from an old classmate saying she’d really appreciated the prayers and that the timing couldn’t have been more perfect as she had lost her husband the month before and was feeling very isolated. She said, “you helped me remember that even though we don’t live close geographically, we can always “visit” and send love to each other.” Such a small effort can truly affect another person’s life! ❤️ Thank you for getting me started again. 🙂
My sister was having a really rough time and I didn’t know, we live 100 miles apart. I wrote her a quick note and enclosed a little card to let her know I loved her and cared about her life. She called me that evening and we talked for a couple hours.
Dear Dori, I was just reading your blog today and was surprised to read my name as o e of your 2 winners . I don’t know if I was supposed to respond or not again. But, it appears that you need my email address.it is vicky.mullins@verizon.net. I will watch for a response.
I m still recouping from the wreck that nearly took our lives on January 8th when a 18 wheeler semi hit us. I’ve just completed , hopefully, my final surgery. My husband had a brain injury from the accident and we are slowly crawling back from that.
Life is brief and uncertain so I highly agree that we should tell people how much we love and appreciate them every chance we get. Thank you.
A young medical student starting his residency sent me a text as a thank you for his graduation card. He was my student in fourth grade and the time has flown by since his high school years, college, and IU Med school.
I pray for a bright future and his healing hands in helping out those in need.
Thanks for all you do today!
My grandmother and I wrote and spoke on the phone all the time. When she passed away I didn’t really have contact with anyone on my mothers side of the family.
I sent a card to my Aunt, whom I haven’t seen in a couple decades, and was pleasantly surprised when she wrote back saying how much she loved hearing from me and how I made her day because she had been missing my uncle so much. She went out and checked the mail expecting to get bills– and found a letter from me.
This was from our niece when my husband her uncle passed away
If you ever met my Uncle David, he probably made you laugh or offered to help you in some way. He was the kindest man and between him and my father, they taught me everything I know about cars, projects, and building. He was the light of the room, the humor behind every joke and the best soul. A once in a lifetime type of guy. You’re going to be missed so much, but your lessons and legacy will live on
I mailed a card with a note to a friend that I haven’t been in touch with in a while. It arrived in her mailbox on a day when she really needed it. I don’t want to share her details on the internet, but she was going through a very difficult time and was feeling overwhelmed. She told me she sat down and cried (a good cry) because it had been a while since someone did something for her.
God Bless you Dori. A beautiful kind and loving gesture you do. I agree with you and others, on taking a few moments to write a note of encouragement, love and kindness. This is so valuable and priceless. Especially, in the world we live in today. We need more people in the world that truly care. This is a blessing! Dori, thank you for sharing this lovely post. Have a great and blessed day!