Good Mail — by Guest Mom Rebecca Bingham

I think that one of the reasons that I love to shop online is because I love getting things in the mail. Who doesn’t? Especially in our age of instant gratification communication (e-mail, crackberry, cell phone cameras, text messages. . .) I appreciate something tangible. Nothing is as good as ripping open a package in the mail and wondering what is inside.

My first experience with this was from my parents. When I moved away from home to go to college, I would often find funny things in the mail. Sometimes it was just a picture with a post-it note sized letter on it. Once it was a package of chili powder (I am still trying to figure that one out). When I lived in England, my dad would send me my favorite pens and cinnamon gummy bears (both cinnamon AND gummy being things that they just don’t appreciate over there). Lately, the mail comes for my kids. A few times a month a small box or envelope will show up on the door step.



Most of the time the box contains some sort of treasure from the dollar store or the local thrift store. Nothing fancy, but something that they know the kids would like. Even baby Norah gets mail. Sometimes, it isn’t even anything fancy. Lately, the kids have been getting the free address labels that come in junk mail to my parents. When they come from Grandpa, they become treasured STICKERS!!!

A few months ago I ran across a blog that talked about “good mail.” Kristi explains in a post that a friend of hers started this. It started as a circle of friends that went to college together who would send each other things in the mail. Sometimes it was a book or a cd compilation. Other times the recipient was the beneficiary of a wonderful creation. The point was to send an “I am thinking of you” type package. Soon Good Mail expanded to their friends from various grad schools. Then, as they all moved across the country and settled into life, the circles expanded even more. Be warned that some of the stuff you will see on this blog is pretty crafty and amazing and there is A LOT of it. You might come away feeling like you don’t have many friends and you aren’t as clever or crafty as you thought you were. I am only kind of kidding. What is evident from the posts is that they get as excited at getting a little something in the mail as my kids do. In fact, I left a comment once on Kristi’s blog and someone that I don’t know sent ME Good Mail. It was so thoughtful and sweet.

Unless you are a blogger that gets lots of hits and has companies sending them things to “review”, the only stuff that comes in the mail is bills or junk. If you are lucky, you might have parents like mine. If you are REALLY lucky, you will find someone to send Good Mail. It is like the mail boxes version of blog comments. I just sent my own first batch of Good Mail. If I had been really on the ball I would have sent it LAST week and had the recipients comment on it. I am not that organized. I didn’t spend a lot of money and it didn’t take that much time, but it was really fun to think about some people in my life that I have been meaning to touch base with. I wrote them each a little note, put in a little treat and off they went. I hope that when they get it, they will get that same little thrill. I hope that they will know how much their friendships mean to me and help me to remember to be playful, humble, responsible or kind. I hope that they will then send some Good Mail of their own. It is a great way to spread the love. Couldn’t we all use a little more love?

Here is a sneak peek of my outgoing Good Mail. Coming to a mailbox near you.