Snail Mail.

When my mom was sick, a friend of mine told me about a project at her church. They would knit hats and scarves for those battling cancer and it inspired me to encourage my friends and family to send letters to my mom.

I emailed and begged and pleaded with friends and friends of friends to drop my mom a note, to say hello, to tell her to keep going, to just love her in that way.

Friends blew me away. An art teacher friend in Georgia had her entire class of students make cards and notes for my mom. Beautiful art work by kids brought many smiles to her face.

Other friends or friends of friends who'd never met me or my mom would send an encouraging word here and there. She began taping the notes and cards and pictures in the hallway of their house and I still remember standing in awe of the love poured out. It meant a lot.

I've been on a little mail kick lately. Ever since I read in the news about the USPS struggling I've been thinking of just how different our world would be without mail. It's so convenient to sit down and hammer out an email or send a text or pay our bills online but there's also something to be said about walking to my mail box and seeing a hand addressed envelope with a personal note for me in it.

I admit it's sometimes hard to find the time and the energy to sit down and write a note or a letter to a friend but it's worth it. There's something about sticking the stamp on, putting it in the mail, knowing it will bring a smile to their face.

We've been to the post office a couple times this week, a family birthday and school picture sorting time, my littles just love the post office. {I also just learned we can get a tour and I think if there's any way to get the USPS kicking again, it's bringing kids in for a tour because what kid wouldn't be inspired to stick something in the mail after that?}

All this to say, is there someone in your life who could use a little note this week? Maybe you have a friend you haven't connected with in awhile due to busy lives or maybe you have a friend you see every day that could use a smile. Maybe you have someone in your family or your friend circle or even your aquaintenance circle who could use a note today. Whoever it is, there's nothing like the gift of taking 5 minutes and writing them a note. Even just "I'm thinking of you."

Tiny Prints will make it especially easy today with a special Halloween promo they have going on. Choose and personalize any Halloween card, have it shipped to yourself to mail to the recipient for FREE or if you'd like it sent directly to the recipient, the price is just $0.44 to cover postage. Check it out right here. {The deal is only available today, so hurry!}

To sweeten the deal, I'm also adding in a giveaway.

I met Kristin Simons this summer in Green Bay. A dear friend of my cousins, she has recently lost both her sister and her mother to cancer and wrote the book I CANcer. An uplifting story with a valuable lesson in seeing cancer in a new light. Her books sell for $19/each {with 25% of the proceeds benefitting Families of Children with Cancer} and I purchased two of them to giveaway here. Check out her website and facebook group here.

This book would make a great gift for someone you know who has or has had cancer or even a child who has a family member with cancer.

To enter, simply tell me who in your life you're going to send some snail mail to. I'll choose two winners randomly Wednesday, October 12.

That's all.

One final thing, it's beautiful here today in Minnesota, just like it was four years ago today. Remembering a blessed event with a smile today.

Disclosure: I am a Tiny Prints affiliate. I purchased the I CANcer books myself to give away and am not being paid or compensated in any way to write about them.