You're Welcome, USPS

I know I've mentioned my adoration of greeting cards in the past, but I don't think I've ever actually listed how many articles of mail I mail during the course of a week. Here's what I'm putting in the mail tomorrow.

1) A birthday card and present for my father. His birthday is Saturday. I'm doubtful that it will get there in time, but at least I mailed it before Saturday!! We picked up a cute little something for him at an antique shop in Stillwater. It turns out that the town is made up of basically bed and breakfasts, antique shops, and townie bars. Great fun.

2) Two credit card bills, paid in full. Suck it, ever increasing APRs. I feel like every month now I have to get on the phone and call my credit card company to remind them what a good customer I am and to stop increasing my interest rate, already.

3) A birthday card to BB's brother. His birthday is on Friday. Hmmm...there's more of a chance that this one will arrive on time than my father's, but not really. I am horrible with the ontimeness thing of birthday cards.

4) A card to my grandmother. She's old. She doesn't leave the house much. I told her all about our stay at the bed and breakfast this weekend. I like to think she'll live vicariously through my adventures.

5) A card to an elderly woman I used to work with years and years ago. She's old. She doesn't leave the house much. I adore her because she used to tell us, in her old quavery voice, about stories of her youth. Apparently she was quite the wild thing. She used to sneak out of her house with a key she had secretly made and meet her boyfriend, a fairly rebellious guy with a Harley. She only dated him for the bike rides and she told us over and over again how difficult it was to avoid his advances for intimacy. Then she'd give us tips on how to avoid these untoward advances. I guess she thought we'd need them, not realizing that the closest my co-worker and I had gotten to the opposite sex in the months we'd worked there was sitting next to guys in the courtroom who'd been accused of domestic violence. Anyway, I love her. I hope my card brings her happiness like her stories bring me happiness even now.

6) A postcard to a friend sort of bragging about my bed and breakfast stay last weekend.

7) A postcard to my cousin. Her mom is dying. I worry that she's taking care of her mom so much she's forgetting to take care of herself.

8) A postcard to one of BB's friends from college. We have a sporadic correspondence that always cracks my shit up. I think she'll be amused by the postcard.

9) A postcard to a friend I haven't heard from in a long time. I think she may be breaking up with me as a friend. If she doesn't respond to the postcard in some way (email, phone call, or something), I'll know she is.

And that's just today. I usually do this slew of mailings once a week. The boy thinks it's weird, but I know better. It brings me joy to think of people opening their mailboxes and seeing something that isn't junk mail or bills. It brings me joy to think of people stepping outside of the awful news on tv and into the memories of good times past. I love mail and I love sending mail.

I hope this encourages people to send someone they love a little note in the same way that this post from Definitely RA encouraged me.