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It really is no wonder why Nicholas Sparks seems to have reserved seating when it comes to the New York Times Best Seller Lists. The man has found a fruit that most cannot ignore and he wrings out the sweet juices in almost all of his books.
The art of letter writing.
Let’s be sincere. We love it. We adore it. We absolutely devour this idea of the soldier in his tent at night rereading the letters of his girl back home. Smelling Her Scent Between The Punctuation Points. We tear into a tub of chocolate ice cream as we sigh over the Two Lovers who forge communion in waiting for the post man to arrive.
A college professor of mine once told the class the tale of how she and her husband fell in love. They met one another at a time in their lives where Distance had a cunning plan to keep them apart. But, even being thousands of miles apart, they fell in love. Somewhere Between the Capital Letters and the Paragraph Breaks.
“It was really different during that time. You would spill your heart out onto a page, baring all your secrets and then you would drop it in the mail box,” I remember her saying. “The test was in the waiting. Waiting to see what he would say back, waiting to learn more about him with every letter in the mail.”
It is not just “mushy gushy” letters. It is any kind of letter where one sits down and dedicates the writing of words and syllables and sentiments with another in mind. I daresay, it is the most beautiful thing in the world.
It is knowing that someone, right next door or Miles Apart, will know themselves loved through just a few paragraphs and a signature at the bottom. Sincerely Yours.
If I have said it once then I need to say it ten more times: The world needs more love letters. More “Thank you for being alive today” letters. More “You are remarkable” and “You light up the world” letters. More “I think you will do great things” kind of letters.
***This is the part of the post where you take both of your hands and you place them on your forehead. Then you say out loud, “Oh no, Hannah. Where are you taking this?” Because, Lord knows, I never stop when idea comes into my head.***
Are you in position? Ok.
I am writing letters to people I have never met. Yes. I am finding it to be the best activity that I have ever taken up. A hobby, if you will call it, that delivers to me a smile every single time I place down a comma or a period.
It began on a train ride home from Manhattan, as most things usually do for me. I was feeling terribly lonely but almost comforted by the fact that everyone around me seemed terribly lonely as well. But instead of letting Loneliness trample all over commute, I pulled out my notepad and began composing a letter. To a person who I had never met. To a person who I can almost guarantee I will never meet.
It is a surreal feeling, to compose a letter to an individual that you have no ties to but at the same time you want the whole wide world for them. I wished them a bright day. A day full of laughter. I told them they were unique & special & really quite smashing. (I might not have used the word ‘smashing’ but I probably will in the next letter).
Really, we are not told enough, in a genuine noncommercial manner, how brilliant we are. How intriguing and wonderful we are. How much we should be commended for waking up today and deciding to take on the task of being human. It is not an easy task. It is not always fun. But it is wildly worth it. Better that we write all these things down.
And, with an anonymous signature, I left the letter behind on the subway. And on the sink of a bathroom. And on a table in a coffee shop. And scattered all over the place in NYC. Several anonymous love letters. The beginnings to many….
I have always wanted to live my life as a love letter. Why not do it with actual love letters? Who knows where my letters are right at this very moment. If they are sitting in the hands of some of corporate CEO as he sips his morning latte at his favorite coffee shop. Or if one is sitting on the desk of a woman who cleans that same coffee shop every single day to keep her children enrolled in private school. It makes no difference, I just wish for the individuals of this world to know themselves loved. And that means you. Yes, you.
So here is the deal…. If you send me your address, your
legitimate “oh my goodness, I have to label an envelope” address then I will write you a letter. You will receive a genuine, handwritten, love letter in the mail. I promise you this. (Don’t worry: I am not about to get creepy lovey dovey all over the paper).
Either leave your address below or via email: HannahKaty@live.com
My poor little fingers might regret this promise when they find themselves cramped from all sorts of cursive, but even if I don’t know you that well, I think you are quite worth it.
This is such a beautiful idea! I love letters and letter writing and I love what you are doing! I will definitely jot off a letter to you!
How do you ever sleep when you are always working so hard? Love is such a difficult thing to promise everyone, and yet you do it so well every day. Have you seen the movie Letters to Juliet? I think you would enjoy it–through most of it’s cheesiness. It’s not an easy thing—spreading good love around the world. You are a brave person for offering so many people yours…brave but wonderful.
I actually just watched Letters to Juliet on the bus ride the other day and now inspired to write my own to Juliet. Great movie/concept. Definitely a Nicholas Sparks- plotline.
Brilliant, Hannah! Love this idea. I may be sending you once or bringing your plans here to Chicago- where, quite frankly, like NYC, people need more love letters. Kudos to you!
Great! I am excited to have some letter scattering in Chi town.
This is a little bit beautiful. It’ll be interesting to see how many requests you get compared to how many you receive directed TO you. Either way, both are good causes.
Thank you, and you are loved.
You wanna talk about the ratio now?? Ha, I am up for it. Many letters to write…
This is a spectacularly wonderful idea.
And you are spectacularly wonderful!
As are you love. As are you!
Hannah,
You always have the best ideas. It never ceases to amaze me that you’re able to always think so selflessly and love the whole world. Clearly, we need more of you in all the places of the world where someone needs a little love thrown their way. I wish people could see the effect their letters have when someone stumbles across them. It must be wonderful.
Kaleigh
Thank you Kaleigh. I am really glad you adored this post. It is exactly why I write. Thank you thank you thank you.
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Wonderful. Thank you for writing this.
Oh my gosh I LOVE this! I will totally email you my address and I’ll send you a letter as well! I used to be penpals with all my cousins when I was younger and I definitely miss it!
we need to revive these letters! SERIOUSLY
this is such a great idea!
Glad you like it.
I LOVE this! Off to send you my address!
Excited!
This is such a beautiful idea, and I am definitely taking a leaf of inspiration from your book and writing the odd letter to a stranger sometime soon!
I think you have my address already
Oh yes I do… It won’t be hard to write you a letter. So much love to put in it already.
The Notebook always makes me cry!! I am going to send you a letter i think
Do it! I would love to scatter it for ya.
What a fabulous idea! You should leave a line at the bottom with your email address in case someone wants to write back!
I kinda love being anonymous =)
I try to write at least a letter or two a month to friends near and far. I LOVE your idea and wish you the best of luck in writing as many love letters as your wrist can handle!
My wrist is going to be breaking soon. trust me. over 100 letters. YIKES
I love this. It makes me hopeful.
Well then it has certainly done its job… I love spreading hope in any way that I can.
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Officially writing love letters for the rest of my life. But I absolutely adore it. Thanks for posting!
letters from strangers are among my favorite things, ranked right next to letters from loving friends. so here’s my address:
1235 s brook st
apartment #4
louisville, ky 40203
my name is jacek (pronounced yacht-sick, if it helps your composition process at all). i’ll write a few for you to scatter among strangers once i get the letter, as i’m sure it will contribute some inspiration and spontaneous energy to my day.
Don’t you worry.. you will get that letter..
Thanks for caring!
Beautiful idea. Beautiful girl. I love your blog and read it often. I just had to comment on this one because of the letters. My boyfriend is in the marines, and I’ve dealt with distance for quite some time now. =)
Thank you so much for this comment. it means the world to me! I am so happy that you read love.
Such a beautiful idea. I’ll be sending you one, and maybe scattering some around my own city as well.
That is what I adore hearing! Thank you so much, I am positive that your city will love those letters.. whoever finds them.
I am a 25 year old Mexican American male, and I like writting love letters when I fall in love… specially now that I am in love with the women of my dreams (She is a beautiful 41 year old japanese lady)… how much I love her, how much I love writting letters to her… how much I love being close to her…
So beautiful… Keep those love letters alive.
I love this post. I love your blog in general, but this one really got me because I’ve caught myself leaving love notes to strangers for the past 3 years. Over the summer, I would walk around the westfarms mall before it opened for work and would stuff notes in crevices and on benches in hopes that someone would read “you look beautiful today and everyday” and go purchase that sweater that emphasized that beauty. I also leave notes on the subway and often in Brant or City Hall park.
Everybody needs a little love – even anonymously.
I especially pride myself on letters to my boyfriend who is at UConn. He loves my doodles and dorky little compositions. Handmade has so much more heart than texts! And unlike the latter which are deleted weekly, he keeps these in his bedside drawer forever!
I love you and your heart Miss Hannah and I’m still holding you to that coffee date!!
I loved everything about this comment Nikita. Seriously. Especially the doodles for your boyfriend, so good. Um… I would love to solidify our coffee date! I am going to shoot you a facebook message!
Awesome idea! I’ve been meaning to start my own “Project Post-It,” leaving post-it notes anonymously in public places—but a letter is even better!
This post really spoke to me because I, too, have recently realized just how much the world needs a “love letter.” I’ll have to email you my address! And of course, pass the love right on back.
That is awesome Miranda.. Glad to have a fellow love letter writer out there in the world.
Oh I love this. I hope all your letters found their way home to someone who needed a love letter that day. I’d love for you to send me one, will email you my address.
Over 100 love letter requests.. I will be writing for a very very very long time..
Hannah,
I love this.
I won’t ask you to write another letter to me (although I’d love to get mail from you
) as you already have over 100 letters to write…
I just wanted to give you a link that you might enjoy (and maybe you have heard of it already?):
<a href="http://www.operationnice.com/2010/07/my-blogiversary-celebration.html" Operation Nice
It’s a similar project idea – leaving anonymous messages to people to brighten up their day.
I love this idea! I thing getting snail mail is awesome and I really try to send out mail to my blog friends on a regular basis. I’m adding you to the list!
I’ve been leaving love post its around since high school. It’s a beautiful thought, good luck!
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