I can’t actually remember the first year that I began participating in National Letter Writing Month. I do remember we were on vacation in South Carolina and it was half way through April when I found there was a whole month dedicated to writing letters.
An excuse to write letters? I needed no more information. I set out to write to as many people as I could before the month ended. My goal? 30. I’m not sure if I met that mark, but I have tried to hit that target every year in April.
2020 National Letter Writing Month is different
Every year, National Letter Writing Month is a struggle. I squeeze in letter writing where I can because I love it so much, but my life is so busy. This year is very different.
This year, we are under a “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order until April 13, but probably longer. This means, I’m not commuting. I’m not doing after school activity runs. The bonus is that they only two shows I watch on TV have had their season finales, so there isn’t a lot to distract me. Plus, weekends under quarantine are long! Plenty of time to get out the pen and paper.
Most years, I put up a list of writing prompts. I think of things you can write about or people you can write to. This year, since I’m home and will likely be home all month, I’m going to do something different. Each day, I plan to write a blog post about letters. Maybe about my love of letters, books about letters, places to buy stationery, and more. My goal, but the end of the month is to not only write 30 letters, but to inspire 30 people to write letters also.
Where to we start
Right here. Start right here. Come here for inspiration.
Today is April 1. Look at Facebook. You can go directly to Facebook.com/events/birthdays. This will show you all of the birthdays of your friends. If you scroll down past Today’s Birthdays and Recent Birthdays, you will see Upcoming Birthdays. Pick someone and send them a birthday card.
Don’t have one? No problem. Write a short note just to wish them a happy birthday! Write it on a sticky note, write it on a piece of paper or a blank card. It doesn’t matter. Just let them know you are thinking about them.
What about stamps?
If you don’t have a stamps, this is not a problem. The United States Postal Service has you covered! From USPS.com, you can purchase stamps or you can pay for postage online. The USPS offers a service from time-to-time where you can fill out a form, stick it in your mailbox and you will get your stamps in a few days. I wasn’t able to find a link to the form though. Try leaving a note in your mailbox asking for a Stamps by Mail form.
If you are getting groceries, you can also ask the cashier for stamps when you check out. Most stores like Meijer and Kroger carry them. I bought a roll of 100 at Costco. There is usually a slight discount there.
I hope to see you writing letters and posting about it too!
