Love is a Handwritten Letter

part of self-care is caring for others

April is National Card and Letter Writing Month! A holiday initiated by the United States Postal Service “as a way to honor and celebrate the efforts that go into mail service.” Hey, everyone needs to feel appreciated, right?

Plus, there are so many cool stamps to use - like my iconic Tomie dePaola, Maya Angelous, and US Women’s Soccer Team ones. It gives me such delight to use them. I never use them on the utility company, but maybe I should?

In February, 2023, I wrote a post called Happiness is a Handwritten Letter and do you know what happened? I had at least five people read that post and send me a handwritten letter! It made me so happy. And then I wrote back and it made THEM happy.

This, my friends, is what makes the world go round.

Our teeny tiny actions have ripple effects.

And so, I’m writing to encourage you to:

1. write one person a handwritten letter this month

2. Or, type it

3. Or, use a typewriter

4. Or, send a postcard

5. Find address

6. Put stamp on

7. Put in mailbox

8. Feel JOY (dopamine!!!)

The effect will be the same - you will make someone’s day or moment - GUARANTEED!

I find this concept fascinating. Doing for others is so often as beneficial to us as it is the recipient - sometimes more.

Yes, I hear you on the boundaries, but lately if feels we overlook the fact that part of self-care also includes caring for others.

Some postcards I mailed and wrote my typewriter!

I remain obsessed with the mail. And you. So write your letters, yes?

The handwritten letter has become a rare gift. It is an act of love, and the world could use a little more of that.

Love is a hand written letter and I give it five stars.

❤️ Amy

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Picture Book Publishing Opportunity:

As of 2025, the SCBWI Impact and Legacy Fund has taken over the iconic Ann Whitford Paul and Writer’s Digest Most Promising Picture Book Manuscript Award.

There are two awards: one for a fiction manuscript and one for a nonfiction manuscript. Each winner will receive a $1,500 no-strings-attached prize and an additional $500 to help them sell their work, to be used for submission advice, counseling, professional editing, or querying.

If you’re working on your first picture book manuscript, please send it in for consideration!

This wonderful award opens for submissions today, and closes on May 1st, 2025.

Please go to the award's webpage or read on for criteria and submission guidelines.

Good luck!

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I didn’t paint this week, but I’m writing a lot of quotes in my notebook:

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The Last Part

• Watching: daffodil stems push up through the ground

• Smelling: the manure thawing from the farm up the road

• Tasting: homemade pitas from The Mediterranean Dish

• Hearing: “Most Beautiful Classical Music” playlist on Spotify and messages from General Conference. Ya’ll, I just need Jesus in my life and this was that.

• Reading: The Bletchley Riddle and it’s so good

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The Unforgettable Guinevere St. Clair is part-mystery, part understanding of the human heart 💖

Ten Thousand Tries is Golden’s quest to save his dad and the soccer team ⚽

The McNifficents is one summer with six rambunctious kids and their miniature-schnauzer nanny 🐕 New Hampshire’s 2024 Great Reads for Kids selection!