Let's Bring Back Happy Mail, Shall We?

Anyone else miss the days of getting fun mail?

I sure do!

When I was a kid, I had so many pen pals. (This was back when my time was abundant and stamps were much cheaper than they are now.) I would run to the mailbox every day to look for fat envelopes stuffed with notebook paper and scribbled stories from people I'd never met in real life.

And then I grew up, ran out of time, stamps became expensive, and mail began to mostly consist of endless junk and bills. I missed the good old days.

But every now and then, a good old day pops up from nowhere.

Want to hear a story about just such a day?

It all started a few weeks ago when our pastor wanted little cards paperclipped inside the bulletins each week. I needed somewhere in the vicinity of 500 paperclips a week to make this project work, so I did something I've never done in my lifetime: I ordered 4000 paperclips.

What? Have you never seen 4000 paperclips in one place?

I joked around about the paperclip saga with my friend, Julie, and she asked me if she could get me paperclips for Christmas. Would it be too soon, she asked?

I told her that surely, somewhere out there in the great wide world, someone made paperclip art.

Just a few days later, Julie sent a text. "Did you get any happy mail today?"

I FORGOT TO GET THE MAIL!!!!!!!

This never happens. Even though my box is nearly always stuffed with bills and junk, I still rush out to check it each day. And yet I'd forgotten to check the mail.

I threw on shoes and a coat and scurried to the mailbox in the dark - and sure enough! A delightful bubble-wrapped mailer sat atop the junk and bills.

And inside?

Isn't that just the best?

Paperclips! Coffee! Happy mail!

Such a simple little thing - but such a big smile on my face as a result.

What if we brought back happy mail?

I'm thinking we might inspire a whole host of smiles...