National Letter Writing Day on December 7
Harness your inner Victorian and pull out your pen and paper.
If you’d prefer to listen instead of read this post:
The Heartspoken Movement is all about celebrating the joy and impact of writing heartspoken notes and letters…and learning to perfect the art of crafting personal and professional correspondence that strengthens connections and builds hope and positivity in the world. So, of course, I want to encourage you to sit down and join millions of folks across the country on National Letter Writing Day (December 7) who will be writing and mailing a letter that day.
Letters can change history
Victoria Altman, writing “A letter is worth 1,000 e-mails” for the National Museum of American History, reminds us of the importance of letters. “Our knowledge of the past, of historical people and events, would suffer hugely if we were denied the incredible bounty of the millions of letters that have been sent, and kept, over the centuries. Letters from Civil War battlefields, from Napoleon, from Catherine the Great and Frederick Douglass. Letters from Abraham Lincoln and Grace Bedell.”
Who was Grace Bedell?
Altman recounts the wonderful story of the 11-year-old Grace, a staunch supporter of Abraham Lincoln, whose 1860 letter to then presidential candidate Lincoln resides in the collection of the Detroit Public Library.
"…if you will let your whiskers grow I will try to get the rest of [my brothers] to vote for you you would look a great deal better for your face is so thin. All the ladies like whiskers and they would tease their husband's [sic] to vote for you…"
According to Altman, “Lincoln responded to the girl's letter just four days later, and within a few months, whether truly at Grace's behest or not, Lincoln had grown a beard. He was the first U.S. president to wear whiskers in office, and the look became his signature.”
Now I can’t promise that any of your letters—or mine—will ever end up in a museum or collection, but I know how much letters from my loved ones, friends, and business associates have enriched my life over the years. Make someone’s day this week with a heartspoken letter.
Kill two birds with one stone and write your words in a holiday card.
Get those packages and cards mailed
Recommended 2024 Holiday Shipping Dates for Contiguous U.S. (Lower 48 States) for delivery before December 25 (excluding Alaska and Hawaii which require 1-2 additional days):
USPS Ground Advantage® Service, mail by Dec. 18
First-Class Mail® Service, mail by Dec. 18
Priority Mail® Service, mail by Dec. 19
For other destinations: https://www.usps.com/holiday/holiday-shipping-dates.htm
Next week
By December 10, you may be starting to have Christmas Card Anxiety. Subscribe now so you don’t miss learning about what that is and how to treat it:
Have a great week and always remember: whether written or spoken,
words from the heart will never fail you!
I've been thinking of you lately, Elizabeth. A couple of momentous events in the lives of friends - a new birth, a terminal diagnosis - have reminded me that nothing feels like a real card in the hand. So I think this year, after a decade of ecards, I just might send some real Christmas cards instead. Love what you're doing.
A letter is indeed worth 1,000 emails!