I have been writing hand-written letters since I was little. Postcards back home to my grandparents on every family trip. A pen pal in London in elementary school. Writing letters back and forth with my high school best friend - passed between us in the hallway between classes or slipped into the slats of our lockers to be found at the end of the day. I have a stash of stationery, cards for every season, and endless envelopes. If you ever need a stamp, I'm your woman.
When I got my first email account in college, people used to say, why don't you just email instead of sending mail? Um, NO??? Email will never be a substitute for the feeling of sitting down, centering myself in how I feel about the person to whom I am writing, touching paper and picking the right pen. Enjoying the story telling and imagining the receiver as they read the words that I am writing. It's a process that is filled - for me - with so much more meaning and joy than sitting at my laptop and whipping an email off to someone. I am sure I could try to imbue emails with the same kind of love...but I'll stick with my love notes. :)
One of my favorite stories that Gerry (my husband) tells about me is that when we first started dating I would see him (multiple times in the week) AND still send him mail. He thought this was funny/strange. I wasn't sure why. He became even more baffled that I still sent him mail once we were living together. Again, not sure where the confusion lies. :)
Now I do that for Lucia, my 6 year old daughter. And she loves it. And she has become a love letter writer. Who doesn't love getting ACTUAL mail, right? It's less and less common to get a birthday card, an "I'm thinking of you note," or a handwritten update. I know it feels really special to receive a letter when I do, so I love doing that for the people I love.
Because I love sending love notes, I have also been making cards for as long as I remember. At the height of my card making, I used to make my holiday cards every year. One year I made a linoleum carving and printed 200 cards (ok, so I never sent them that year because I wore myself out...but I was super prepared for the following year! lol).
I have started to dive into card making again. Sometimes with Lu. Her style is magical. Love notes feel even more important now.... reaching out to each other given the distance required to let your folks know - I miss you, I love you, I am holding you in my heart. During this pandemic, we have all experienced isolation, loneliness, disconnection, sadness and grief. My theory is that love notes are one way to create lightness, love and joy through this time (for both sender and receiver).
SO - write love notes with me! Complete this form to receive TWO handmade cards from me, on me! If you want more than two, still complete the form and let me know how many you'd like. I'm selling them as a fundraiser (at $5 per card) with ALL proceeds being split between The Movement for Black Lives and Extinction Rebellion. So many win-wins happening here...it starts with a love note. :)
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