I’ve just been listening to messages from Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and Patrick Donahoe, Postmaster General/CEO talking about the state of the US Postal Service. It’s sad news.

Senator McCaskill said that hearts were breaking in her state as 167 post offices are scheduled to close; most of those post offices in counties of 50,000 or fewer residents. And she recommended a solution.

Patrick Donahoe was explaining to USPS employees that the USPS has lost 26% of its first class mail, their most profitable business, and that this shrinking of the first class mail is the major issue resulting in the post office closures and employee cutbacks.

Last week in a television interview, the Senator asked a question and supplied an answer that caused my e-mail to buzz and shake as friends couldn’t wait to tell me, “She’s talking about just what you’ve been talking about for years! You should contact her right away!”

The Senator said, “I am not sure there has been a marketing campaign about the value of a written letter. I really believe that if someone would begin to market the value of sending a letter to someone you love; you might be surprised on how you could stabilize the first class mail.”

As my dear readers know, Make Mom Happy By Mail, the blog and the book, have been recommending just that for the past five years. From the moment I asked my mom what I could do to be a better daughter and she replied, “Just send me more mail.” I have been extolling the virtues of mail to all who would listen. And I’ve reminded them that many elderly folks don’t have, and don’t want, e-mail. They want something to hold in their hand, something to read again and again, something to brag to a friend about.

For two and a half years following Mom’s simple request for more mail, I sent her something by mail several days each week. Post cards, pictures, magazine articles, candy, books, dog toys, flower petals, and yes, even letters found their way into her big country mailbox out by the gravel road in St. Joe, Arkansas.

We called this our “Make Mom Happy By Mail” campaign. And she told me time and time again that it did just that. It also made me happy to be able to bring interesting things into her life and to discuss them with her. It made our relationship stronger, closer and more fun until the day she died. Happily, it has done the same thing for countless others across the US and from France to Japan, as they heard about our Make Mom Happy By Mail campaign and tried it for themselves.

As Senator McCaskill suggested, “…. if everyone with a living elderly relative or friend would send just one piece of first class mail to them each week, we might be surprised how we could stabilize the first class mail.” This could result in increased revenues, fewer closed post offices and more stable jobs for those not ready to retire. Something as simple as a letter could make such a difference to so many people in so many ways.

I urge you to start your own “Make Someone Happy by Mail Campaign” today for five reasons.

1. It will make a loved one happy.
2. It will make you happy to make them happy.
3. It’s just plain fun to do.
4. You just might save a post office.
5. You just might save a job of an American postal worker.

Shake up the world – do something big – send something by mail today.

I love doing radio interviews this week before Mother’s Day. My publicist sends me a list of the shows that want to interview me and I work hard to be in the right place at the right time so they can call me on a land line. I’m not sure why, but cell phones don’t work for radio interviews. Then once I’m in the right place, I take out a few notes just to be sure I always have something interesting to say. Then I wait for the call. It’s always fun when the phone rings and I get to meet the new radio personalities. While I appreciate them all, some are better interviewers than others and some are more fun than others.

Today I met Barbara Dooley from WGAU in Atlanta who was a great interviewer and really fun to talk to. I knew it would be a good interview when she said, “I’d give anything to have just one more day with my mom.” I’ve often said the same thing so I knew we had a lot in common and that I would enjoy talking to her. And I did. When she asked for some suggestions about what to send to a mom, I read her the list of “25 Things That Say I’m Thinking of You”, from www.makemomhappybymail.com. She laughed when I mentioned sending my grocery list and thought her mom would have loved to see her Saturday “To Do” list just like my mom did because they love to know about how we spend our days.

When she complimented me on thinking of the idea to fill mom’s mailbox, I quickly corrected her and said it was mom’s idea, not mine. All I did was ask “What could I do to be a better daughter.”

“My mom wouldn’t have told me anything if I’d asked her that question.” Barbara said.

“I thought exactly the same thing.” I told her. I honestly thought my mom would say I was the best daughter in the world and there was not one thing I could do to be better. But what she really said was, “Just send me more mail.” And that question and answer changed our lives in a wonderful way.

Barbara graciously told me that she thought her listeners would be inspired by our conversation. That comment made me happy for the whole day. Since she was recording the conversation, it’s possible that I might be able to share the entire conversation with you next week. I think you’d enjoy meeting Barbara’s too!

Please share your stories so I can share them with others.

Be well and bring joy.

During this week before Mother’s Day, I’m doing a series of radio interviews to promote my upcoming book, Make Mom Happy by Mail.  Even thought the book is traveling slowly through the publishing process, I think it’s important to talk about the idea of connecting with our elderly relatives whenever I can.  And during this week before Mothers’ Day, people seem especially interested in listening.

“So tell us what wonderful things we could send Mom for Mothers’ Day.” That’s the question I’m most often asked during the interviews.  And while I could quickly rattle off a series of fun and funny things to send for Mothers’ Day, what I really like to mention is the importance of sending things on days other than Mothers’ Day – on the days when she’s not expecting the obligatory card or call.  On the days when the mailbox is likely to be empty – the 97% of the days when the box is likely to be empty of anything except junk mail or bills.

Wonder how I arrived at that 97% number?  Here’s how.  I counted the days when we are likely to send a card; Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day (I may be stretching a bit  here) Birthdays, Easter or Passover, Thanksgiving, Christmas or Chanukah.  Then I added six assorted Get Well or Thinking of You cards.  That would mean 12 days a year, cards arrive. And 12 days are approximately 3% of 365 days. That means that 3% of the days of the year, a card from you arrives in Mom or Dad’s mailbox and 97% of the days, there is nothing more than junk mail.  Or nothing at all.  (I remember noticing that my stepfather even read his junk mail because it was something new to look at!)  And the days when something does arrive?  I call those the Happy 3% Days

So I suggest to my radio interviewers that while it’s nice to get something in the mail on Mothers’ Day, it might be even nicer to find a letter, card, book candy bar or gift card in the box the week after – and the week after that – and every week during the year.  Perhaps even 52 times.  Perhaps more.

For a moment, please think of a loved one who would like to hear from you today.  Now picture their face as they open an empty box.  Now think how easily you could change that picture for the price of a postage stamp and a few minutes of your time.  Now just lick (or stick) the stamp!

Please share your stories with me so I can share them with others.

Be well and bring joy.

At this moment, thousands of senior citizens are checking their clocks and waiting for the mail in every city, state, and country. My mom and your mom wait for mail. My aunt Bobbie and your aunt Lou wait for mail. My dad and your dad wait for mail. They wait for something to break the monotony of a long day, something to bring news of the ones they love, something to connect them to the bigger world, something to show they’re remembered. The very best thing to find is personal mail—mail with their name on it written in a known hand, preferably the hand of someone they love and someone who loves them. At this very moment, around the world, they are waiting and hoping.

And then it comes! It might be in a mail truck or delivered on foot by George the friendly postman. It might come to the little white box right by the door or to the big silver box out by the road or to the lobby of the apartment building. It might come early or late. But finally it does come. And that’s a big moment. For some, including my mom, the anticipation, the journey, and the arrival of the mail can be the biggest event of the day. What will it be? What’s new in the world? And the biggest question of all: does anybody remember me? Is anybody thinking about me? Does anybody love me?

With that question in mind, they open the box, sometimes slowly to savor the moment. “Maybe there will be a card or a letter or a picture. I hope there’s a picture. Just maybe,” they think day after day. “Maybe today.”

Please take a moment to consider whether someone is waiting for mail from you today.  Sending a note just takes a minute.  And for tips on making it easy, see Getting Started on www.makemomhappybymail.com

Please share your stories so I can share them with others.