Snail mail delights

In a few minutes, you can make someone's day

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning.
This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's
tip is that snail mail tends to delight people. Sending
a card or note doesn't take long, but it can

(00:25):
bring a lot of joy. So most people won't get
much personal physical mail until next December when holiday cards
start arriving. That is a pity because people love getting
personal mail as opposed to junk mail. In December is

(00:45):
a long time from now, so why not drop a
note in the mail and spread a little love in
the meantime. I have some practical tips for making this
feel more doable and fun. First, make sure you have
a file of mailing eyes address as handy. Probably you
do from your holiday cards, but if not, make one
that has the information on your friends and family members.

(01:08):
Here's a fun fact. If people own their homes, you
can often find their mailing addresses by searching online for
their names in the town where they live, because real
estate purchases are generally public records. But you can obviously
just send a quick text or email asking for this information.
You might also keep a stash of fun or funny

(01:31):
cards in your desk, stop by the dollar store and
pick up a batch. If you'd like to be a
little more elevated, you can look somewhere like a bookstore
or paper source. You can also buy hand decorated cards
from artisans at places like Etsy or if you have kids,
they are no doubt creating a lot of artwork, so

(01:52):
you could start sharing these masterpieces with other relatives. Just
fold one up and put it in an envelope. As
for what to say, well, this may feel awkward for
the first few cards or letters, but when people start
to see you as the person who sends the snail mail,
it will seem a lot less weird. So choose an
occasion that feels defensible, like a holiday or the anniversary

(02:15):
of something that you and the other person experience together,
and reach out. On that occasion. Just say thinking of you,
share one recent detail from your life, and send them
good wishes. There is no need to overthink this. You
might also use snail mail as a way to send
printed photos. Most people don't have nearly enough printed photos

(02:37):
these days, so print them up from the last time
you saw a friend or family member and stick those
in the mail. It is pretty easy to order envelopes
that are large enough to accommodate a four x six photo.
Your notes don't have to be long. It is the
sheer thought that counts and the fun of getting something
in the mail that is not a catalog. Why not

(03:00):
give it a shot. If you get excited about sending
snail mail, you may want to keep a few cards
in your car or kitchen drawer, or anywhere else you
routinely find yourself with time that is not spoken for.
Then it's easy to write a note. Whenever you have
a few minutes. You can use your time confetti to
make someone's day. Because snail mail really is delightful in

(03:23):
a way that few other things that take a few
minutes and a few dollars can be. There is no
reason not to avail yourself of the opportunity. In the meantime,
this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making
the most of our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast.

(03:50):
If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach
me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast
is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia,
please visit the iHeartRadio, app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you

(04:12):
listen to your favorite shows.