Save the Letter!

Sometimes you just have to say, I’m going to give this a shot!

Several months ago, I was surfing, looking for At-Home business ideas that might involve writing. I stumbled across an article on businessknowhow.com about writing letters from Santa to children as a small, home-based business. Santa needs ghost writers…Who knew? I thought this sounded like a fun idea, so I started doing some research.

After several months,  St. Nick’s Secretary has been launched. (I have to give my husband credit for the name!) It gives me a chance to do a little writing, have a little fun, and perhaps to make a little money. (fingers crossed) So, it is official–and open for business. Click on the button to the right if you want to take a look. If it makes some children smile, I will be really happy.

Letter writing. With paper and pen.

It seems to be an art that is slowly dying, and I don’t want to see it go! I have to blame technology, to a degree, and our fast-paced, instantly-gratified way of living. But that doesn’t mean that letter writing has to disappear! Even taking five minutes to dash off a quick notecard to let someone know you were thinking about them or to thank someone for a favor is taking a stand against the death of the letter.

Here are some tips to make it easier:

• Gather a letter writing kit in a decorated shoebox or cute basket.
• Include:  Address book, stamps, return address labels or stamp, box(es) of note cards, pens, a few envelopes, and a pad of stationery (or plain paper–or lined paper, if you are worried about neatness)
• Keep an ongoing list in the basket of people you would like to write or send a card to. Update the list often!
• Set a time–once a week or two, maybe on payday or the day you put Frontline on your dog. If you schedule the time, you might actually do it!
• Be realistic. Write only one or two letters or cards at a time.
• Get totally over being a perfectionist. Nobody cares if your handwriting is printed. It just needs to be legible. And nobody cares if the lines are a little wavy.
• Do not get up from the table or desk until the envelope is addressed and stamped. Otherwise, if you are like me, you will find it three weeks later, tucked into your calendar. You will think it too out-dated to send. And you probably will not do a re-write. I speak from experience. Sad, but true.
• Walk it to the mailbox. And here’s the crucial last step:  Put it in the box and raise the flag. If you put it in your purse to take to work or wherever, you might remember it, but maybe not.

Your note might just be the pick-me-up that someone else needed! You do have time. If something is important, we make time for it. This is a way to reach out and touch someone–and you do not need a modem. Please join me when I say:

Save the letter!

(shameless plug)