Today is a big exciting day! It’s love letter day here at A Passion for Letter Writing. Sweep all those papers off your desk, roll up your sleeves, spritz a little bit of cologne behind your ears and get ready to go crazy. (Or as we say here in the south, “hog wild” but somehow saying it like that doesn’t really inspire the romance.)

For this challenge I have enlisted the help of a love letter writing expert: Edward, over at Love Letter Lane. Today he will be writing about the benefits of writing frequent love letters. I hope by the end of his post you will be inspired to write a love letter of your own for today’s challenge.

Here’s Edward:

It is amazing that such a simple gesture as writing a love letter could have such a profound impact on you and your true love. Not to mention all those that are watching you, observing your commitment to love.

Writing Frequent Love Letters:

• Builds excitement that’s not easily quenched. Each letter, when prepared with care, is like a surprise gift, tucked behind the couch just out of sight, that appeared out of nowhere on Christmas morning.
• Instills a joy that can endure the storms of life, and that can even place an upward curve on sweet lips that have been crying all day. A couple heartfelt words on a sheet of paper can work wonders.
• Recovers happiness lost during the clutter of busy days, screaming kids, yelling bosses, traffic jams, spilled coffee or whatever the crazy episode of the day happened to be. All the worries of the day melt away when you know someone loves you, no matter what!
• Creates hope even where hope never existed. A word of encouragement – a simple “I support you,” “We’ll get there together,” or “You can do it…” in a love letter can make you a believer.
• Produces a forgiving spirit out your commitment to write frequent love letters – a habit that will result in a desire to keep your relationship pure and free from bitterness and grudges.
• Encourages communication that results in a closer more intimate relationship; more meaningful conversations, more talking, joking and more laughing.
• Stirs passions resulting in more nights out together, more flowers with a note two pages long, more mornings with breakfast in bed, and more hugs and kisses with no prompting whatsoever.
• Cultivates trust and commitment that keeps growing stronger as you establish this excellent habit – writing frequent love letters.
• Promotes romance… more alone time, more tenderness, more compassion, more concern, more fun, and more tiny surprises for no reason at all.
• Dissuades wickedness by filling your heart and mind with love, tenderness, and compassion; leaving little and eventually no room for anything bad.
• Relieves stress by helping you to relax, laugh and maybe even to cry happy tears.
• Reduces fighting and tension by replacing those horrible, kill-joy, stress-creating parts of every relationship with patient loving conservations, prompted by a love letter. Who wouldn’t want to reduce or even eliminate, if at all possible, fighting and tension?
• Abolishes sadness with a few genuine words like “I love you,” “I’m here,” or “Just wait until you see…” – words that can change your mood instantaneously. Telling them you love them, sharing a happy note, or hinting to a fun surprise works every time.
• Eradicates loneliness with communication that’s sincere and hard to challenge. Commitment to sharing deep thoughts, concerns, worries, hopes, and dreams can only result in a closer relationship – not one that’s more distant.
• Dissolves boredom because writing and reading love letters is a fun and exciting activity that never gets old. You can easily spend a lifetime pursuing your lover’s ever-changing wants, needs and desires.
• Sets a good example for all those around you, who are watching you and your commitment to love. Your friends, relatives, neighbors and your children are watching you. This is your chance to be a good role model. As it’s been well said, “… good character is caught, not taught.”
• Endorses faithfulness by filling your heart, mind and soul with love for your one and only true love. And by committing to keep filling your heart, mind and soul with things that are lovely, and everything good.
• Deters deceit because it is hard to genuinely move in two separate directions at the same time. Perhaps some can, but even so, writing frequent love letters with words of love, compassion, hope, joy and happiness will eventually tug on the conscience, suggesting change.

If writing a love letter truly could produce that list of benefits, then why not invest even just 5 minutes a day and bring back the lost art, one letter at a time.

I made a personal commitment to write frequent love letters to my darling wife; to warm her soul, nourish her heart, to make certain she knows and feels my love, to add excitement, surprise, joy, hope, and everything good to her life.

I challenge you to do the same for your true love.

I’m not a very good traveler, but I do love going places so I can send the postcards to my friends. It’s a little wonky, I admit, but… hey, it makes me happy.

For today’s challenge you don’t even have to go anywhere. The postcard blitz is fun for several reasons. First of all, the postage is a lot cheaper for a postcard, only 27 cents! Second, you have a very small space to write in so it’s quick and easy to jot a note and send it off right away. Third, many people like to collect postcards from many different places so your note will probably end up being saved, or at the least will stay on someone’s fridge ’til it’s manhandled by greasy chicken fingers.

At the place I buy postcards, I pay about 20 cents per card, then 27 cents for postage. I can do ten cards (domestically) for under five bucks. Think about it… that’s TEN FRIENDS you can surprise for less than five dollars. What else can you do for ten friends for that little money?

Even in that small space, some might feel intimidated about what to write. I hear this excuse a lot, “My life is so boring, I have nothing to say that’s interesting.” Wait, I’ve used that excuse myself! No worries, if you feel uninspired today and nothing new is going on, how about an inspirational quote? Pick a quote (you can find many on the Internet via search engines) that you think will inspire, delight, amuse or intrigue your friend. Jot it on the card, attribute the source and send it off.

The point is to communicate, build relationships and make something interesting happen for your friend.

Here are other fun things to do with postcards:

1) Make your own if you’re creative in that way
2) Alter a ready made card by putting a silly caption on the picture or adding cutouts from a magazine or drawing something in on top of the picture
3) Draw a silly cartoon or stick figures on the back
4) Doodle around the edges of your message or quote
5) Send two postcards with a riddle. Send the riddle the first day and send the answer a couple days later. (Please don’t tell anyone I am responsible for you being so aggravating.)
6) Try a rhyming note or haiku
7) Write your note backwards so they have to hold it up to the mirror to read it (again, see non-disclosure request in #6)

Just play… ’cause some days life is tough and troublesome. Experience some wonder through letter writing. Brighten someone’s day. I always feel better when I do something for others and I bet you do, too.

P.S. If for some reason you’d like to send postcards to strangers or guarantee you’ll get postcards back for your effort, try postcrossing.com.

I dig philanthropy. I often find myself wishing for barrels full of money because it would be so much fun to give it away. There are so many clever ways for people to be philanthropic now and it doesn’t cost a lot of money.

One way you might not think of immediately is the 42-cent donation you can make to those who really need it, like soldiers or people in the nursing home. There are many people who could really use a lift because they are isolated, alone or away from home. I can’t think of a cheaper way to do a good deed!

On the Letter Projects page, if you scroll down you will find several links to places where you can write soldiers. (The Red Cross just finished one and we missed that deadline!)

What will make this challenge more fun (and more philanthropic) is if you will get a friend to join in. Why not do it as an office project or if you’re a social person, make a party of it. Gather a bunch of friends over for dinner, pizza, snacks, whatever, and then sit down at the table and start writing. Even if you set a small goal such as three cards per person — if you invite 10 friends that’s 30 soldiers who get a note of appreciation.

If writing soldiers isn’t your thing, contact a local nursing home, senior day center or Meals on Wheels and ask the administrators if there are people who would appreciate notes.

How about joining a letter writing campaign for a cause? Or start your own campaign. You can find many of those if you just google “letter writing campaign”. That might keep you so busy you miss the last five days of our challenge.

Speaking of which, we’re halfway there… how are you doing?

Some years ago I worked with a then fairly well-known author. We’d slave day and night to work on his books and while the work was gratifying overall, it was an extra-nice day when he’d get fan mail. Sales are great, but personal acknowledgment for work pumped us both up and reminded us that the effort made a difference for someone somewhere.

I don’t care WHO you are, if you’re a human being you’re prone to your moments of weakness, your insecurities and even the most confident person will occasionally be plagued by self-doubt.

Maybe it’s because of my past experience, but I really like writing fan mail when someone makes a meaningful impact on me. Mostly I write authors and artists. I’ve actually gotten a couple of replies, which is fun too. I never expect a response, so when I’ve gotten one it is great treat.

Okay, I must pause here to tell one anecdote so you can learn from a bad experience I had. Back when I was a teenager I was a rabid fan of Phyllis A. Whitney, a romance writer. I had read just about every one of her books because for some reason our school library had a gazillion of them. They were very mild and “teen safe”. I decided I would write her some fan mail and picked out my best paper, wrote a very earnest (and in retrospect probably highly amusing) letter. I sealed it up and at the time thought it was very cool to write my return address on the back flap of the envelope. (I have no idea why I thought that was cool, but remember I was 13 or something and not in my right mind.) The unfortunate part is the back of the envelope had a picture of a field of flowers on it so when I wrote my address there it was not easily readable.

A few weeks later I got a strange-looking envelope in the mail. Mrs. Whitney had ripped the back flap off my envelope off and taped it to the front of her envelope and then scrawled a note around it that said something like, “I can’t read this illegible address, so I’m putting it here because maybe you can figure out where it’s supposed to go.”

My embarrassment turned to horror after I opened the letter to find that not only did she chastise me in front of who knows how many postal workers, but she wrote me one very stern paragraph advising me that if I write a letter to someone I need to make it easy for them to write me one back. I think she probably said some nice things in the letter too, but, honestly, I can’t remember what they were.

Is there someone out there you admire who doesn’t know you but who has made a difference in your life? Today’s challenge is to drop them a note and tell them what you admire and appreciate about them.

Just FYI, my pick for today is John Walsh, the anti-crime activist and host of America’s Most Wanted and one of the directors of the Center for Missing and Exploited Children. It was announced recently that the cold case of his son, Adam, was finally solved after nearly 30 years. In the aftermath of his son’s disappearance Walsh has made a difference in so many lives by helping catch criminals and find missing children. He deserves way more than my little note, but remember… if you put enough tiny drops in a bucket, eventually the bucket fills up!

Who is your best pal? Who gets you through the days, weeks, and months of life? Today is the day to reward that special person with a handwritten note. Yes, even if you talked to them five minutes ago on the phone. Even if you are about to see that person in two hours for lunch! Distance should have nothing at all to do with writing a letter.

What do you love most about your friend? What qualities inspire you? What comforts you? What do you appreciate? Has your pal gotten you through a tough time or changed your life? What would your life be like without your friend?

Start with a memory of jump right into the mushy stuff, but however you do it make this all about your friend. Declare “Best Friend Day” on one (or more) of your favorite people. (No love letters — that challenge is coming up later!)

Imagine what a nice day it will be when the letter arrives. Often in our lives we show our affection for the people we care about, but how many days of the year do we get truly and deeply into what they mean to us? Make “Best Friend Day” the day to do it up right!

Since having kids, Easter is my favorite holiday. I love all the secrets surrounding Easter — who doesn’t love secrets?? The hiding of the eggs, the finding of the eggs, the mystique of The Basket. In our family we like to do a treasure map for each of the special Easter prizes. I tea-stain the paper and burn the edges to make it look old, then draw the map with familiar landmarks so my oldest son can find his. (My youngest is still too little and would sooner eat the map than read it.) I love making the secrets for my son and he loves discovering them.

Today’s challenge is all about secret notes. Who in your life could benefit from a little surprise or two? Or make it more than one person! Put notes in the kids’ lunchbox or backpacks. Slip a note in your spouse’s pocket. Put a note in a favored colleague’s desk drawer.

Whoever gets it and wherever it ends up getting hidden, make sure the note is light, playful and fun. (Important safety tip: if it’s a naughty note to a Significant Other, be sure it won’t be found by someone else!) You can even do a series of notes over a few days. Or start a new tradition of doing a secret note on the same day every week. Make it an inspirational quote, a made-up fortune or just a “good job” note.

If you’re feeling particularly ambitious you can do a scavenger hunt type note. The first note will tell them where to find the second note and so on until they get to the last hidden note. Another variation is the encrypted note. If your recipient isn’t a cryptographer, be sure to hide the encryption key where they can also find that!

Have fun with this one! Post back and tell me what kind of cleverness you got into!

I have a confession. I’m not a big fan of holiday mail. You’d think being passionate about mail would make me thrilled with any kind of mail, but I’m just not. Most holiday mail feels too obligatory, too forced.

The amount of mail I get between January and October is a fraction of what I get during the holidays. I get mail from people I barely know. I get mail from friends who never write me. I get mail from business associates. Mostly they are cards with a pre-printed message and a signature. Sometimes I get cards with NO signature! I get the impression that people are sending cards because that’s what people should do during the holidays.

Well, I say “Bah humbug!” I say it vehemently, fervently, passionately, strenuously, and well… repeatedly. I say it not because I want to be a big Christmas killjoy, but rather I want to radically reform holiday mail. If you love sending out holiday cards, please do it! But do it in a way that is meaningful, thoughtful. Don’t do it because it’s an obligation you must discharge. Honestly, nobody is fooled.

There is a solution to make your holiday mail memorable and extraordinary once again. All you have to do is make it personal.

First of all, let’s review your Christmas list. Start by dividing it into three sections. In one column put those you genuinely care for and want to be in touch with. In a second column put people you need to send holiday cards to in order to maintain healthy business or social relationships. In a third column put all the people who are 1) on your list because you’re on their list and 2) all the people you send cards to because you feel like you have to.

Next get pen and put a gigantic X through the third column. The two columns left over are your new Christmas list! If you’re worried about suddenly not sending cards to someone on the list, most likely they won’t notice. (Especially if all you did was sign your name to it.)

Now that you’ve got your new list you can begin the cards. This will take longer than just signing your name, but the great thing about these cards is you don’t have to put a date on them. You can start in October or November, or if you’re really concerned about how long it will take start them in July. Nobody will know the difference as long as you mail them in December.

Address all the envelopes and stamp them. Get all the tedious stuff out of the way so once you’re done with the writing you can just stuff the envelopes and seal them. Think of the first person on your list. What is special about the person that makes you want them on your holiday list? The great part about holiday cards is they’ve done most of the writing for you. On the blank facing page of the card all you need to come up with are two little lines. Just two! Feel free to write more if you want, but at least two (or one really long one) is enough to make it look like you’ve made an effort.

Below are two lists of examples you can use as a starting point, one for casual and business acquaintances and one for closer friends and family. By the end you will see how little it takes to turn drab into fab.

For business cards:
• I’ve really enjoyed working with you this year, especially on Project XYZ. Can’t wait to start back at it in 2009!
• Can you believe it’s Christmas already? It seems like we should still be in the 1st quarter. Have a great rest of the year.
• I had fun working with you this year, but let’s not have another copy toner fiasco like we did over the summer!
• You’ve made a great addition to our office. I’m really glad to have you on my side.
• What a cool boss. How did I get to be so lucky?
• We’ve been working together for 3 years now. I appreciate continuing to serve your business needs.
• Thanks for being our first choice in [whatever]. We love being in business with you. (If you don’t love it you can still say something like “we value/appreciate being in business…”.)

For personal cards:
• I love you, love you, love you and… did I say I love you?
• We are looking forward to seeing you, Sally and the kids over the holiday break. It’s not getting here fast enough!
• I’m sorry we can’t see you in person for the holidays. We’ve got your pictures on the mantle, though!
• I know you’ve had a challenging year. I hope the holiday season is a peaceful one for you. You’re in our thoughts often!
• What a fantastic year you’ve had. I’m looking forward to seeing how you sprint to the finish line of 2008!
• We’ve got the ornaments dusted off and finally have the tree up. I know you are as busy as we are… if we can do it, so can you!
• Hey, when I unpacked the Christmas stuff, I saw the ornament you made last year for David. How adorable and thoughtful. It reminded me of all the good times we had.

If you’ve not done your holiday mail yet, I hope you’ll rise to this Day One Challenge and review the systems of correspondence you already have in place and see if there are ways you can improve it.

What traditions for holiday mail do you have that people get excited about? What works well for you? I’d love for you to share it with me!