The History of Good Mail

{This is a box of mail JUST from my freshman year at BYU}

I suppose this is question that has needed to be answered for some time, but since several of you suggested that as a topic idea in my very grumpy post from yesterday I think I will post about good mail today. By the way, thanks for all the kind words and help. I hate feeling so out of sorts and grumpy because then when I feel better I feel embarrassed for being so ridiculous. Ah well...


Good mail for me started when I was about 9 years old. My family moved at the end of my 4th grade year from Hudson, Ohio to Fullerton, California. This was fairly upsetting for me because I was leaving my very best friend Lori behind, though I took comfort in knowing we could write letters to each other on the cute stationery we had both purchased at a school fair. (I have been addicted to stationery for as long as I can remember.)


So my family moved and my correspondence with Lori began. We lived in California for 3 years and then had to move to Grand Rapids, Michigan (which was extremely traumatic for me) so I began corresponding with my best friend Jeana. The only thing that ever made me feel better during that hellish summer of crying was getting letters from Jeana and my other friends from California. Of course, once school started I ended up making friends and adjusting to life in Michigan (I could not have foreseen the rock star status being from California would give me), but still continued to send letters back and forth to Jeana.


Fast forward to the summer I graduated from high school (1989) and was getting ready to leave for BYU. I gave my 3 best friends (Betsy, Ann & Kelly) personalized stationery that had the words "Dear Jill" printed on it! They kept me in letters and packages all during my first year at BYU and I must say those were the highlight of my identity-crisis filled year. They sent me the silliest things and it always made life so much more bearable. Plus, it was therapeutic for me to write them letters or buy funny cards to send them. (I had no money to send little gifts back then.)


So now all these years later I'm still addicted to sending and receiving mail and do so often. I still get Christmas cards from Lori and Jeana, and still remain close to Betsy (Ann and Kelly not so much) and still send fun mail items to Betsy. She's generally too busy to do the same for me but shows her generosity with over-the-top Christmas and Birthday gifts, so my good mail to her is kind like a gift-giving installment plan of sorts. But I digress...


I didn't actually realize I had a name for my postal passion until last year when I couldn't think of what to give Jenn for her birthday and ended up giving her 1 year of good mail! I sent her a card announcing this gift and then sent cards and packages throughout the year. Blogging has turned my love of sending and receiving good mail into an epidemic shared by all of us. This gives me great joy! So there you have it. That's the history, now I will give you a little definition.


Good Mail /gʊd/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[goo d] /meɪl/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[meyl] adjective, noun & verb

1. tangible generosity
2. thoughtfulness in action
3. delivery of happiness

Can be hand delivered (express good mail) or mailed via USPS, UPS, FedEx or online delivery. It is the process of acting on a nice thought, reaching outside oneself, being thoughtful, generous and kind. Guarantees a "natural high," smile, and slight giddiness in both the sender and the receiver.

It's best to start with ones own friends and family but is also great for blogging friends, neighbors, and people from church or community. It is a good idea to post items received on blog so as to delight the sender and to document it for your future self as a gratitude reminder and future pick-me-up on down days.

Good Mail Tips:

Carry note cards, stamps, a good pen and addresses in your purse for use while waiting in doctor's offices, carpool pick-ups, and long red lights (ha). It's amazing what you can accomplish in a very short amount of time.


Write down ideas for good mail when reading blogs, talking on the phone or when things come to mind. This is mighty helpful for remembering the little details that trigger good ideas, but are easily forgotten.

Never let self-consciousness and insecurity keep you from sending something nice. Just ask yourself "Would I be delighted to get this in the mail?" Then just send it. You can't go wrong being thoughtful and you never know just how much someone needs to know they're being thought of, so don't talk yourself out of something!

Remember, anything that is NOT a bill and is from a person is good mail. So decorating the envelope, putting on a good mail label, or drawing a picture on it is a fun thing to do whether you think you're being presumptuous (by calling a note from yourself good mail) or not. It's all good!

**Did I forget anything?
Have you been sending good mail for years too?
What do you love about it?**