It’s too easy to feel hopeless these days, but for every negative, there’s a positive somewhere. Take 11-year-old Emerson Weber of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Emerson is a rather prolific epistoler who wrote a letter, complete with hand-decorated envelope, to her postman thanking him for all he does.
It appeared in an internal USPS newsletter, and soon enough, Emerson received dozens of letters from grateful mail carriers around the country (all of which will be responded to, as her father Hugh recounts on Twitter) as well as some well-deserved feel-good coverage from Good Morning America.
The USPS said in a statement, “Somehow, the words of an innocent 11-year old child have touched all of us. The power of connection is what we are delivering, as we bring vital medications, correspondence and commerce to Americans staying at home. Because we are hard at work, we are helping keep you safe — and connected.”
I can’t wait to see Emerson’s line of writing papers launching around 2032 or so! In the meantime, last week 13 female-owned stationery brands (Emerson’s soul sisters, if you will) launched the 18 Million Thanks Campaign to encourage people to send handwritten thank you notes to America’s 18 Million Healthcare Heroes.
Spearheaded by Good Juju Ink, these brands believe physical thank you notes are a vital, sincerely human touch point during the Covid-19 crisis.
“We are beyond excited to see this campaign come to life. Our healthcare heroes put their lives on the line every single day. The very least we can do is take the time to sign our name, in our own handwriting, and say thank you,” said Juliana Kissick, Chief Executive Officer, Good Juju Ink.
The site showcases the breadth of marvelous designs created by each of the Participating Brands, along with the addresses of participating hospitals where the cards can be sent.
The site also includes testimonials from healthcare workers, who share the impact of receiving a thank you card.
I may or may not have yelled “Oh, yes!” upon reading the list of participating brands, some of my favorites. In addition to Good Juju Ink, the group includes Hartland Brooklyn, Paper Epiphanies, E. Frances Paper, Iron Curtain Press, Friendly Fire Paper, Inklings Paperie, fineasslines, Thoughtful Human, Dahlia Press and I Must Draw.
They want to send these cards by end of the 2020 — won’t you help? Head to the site to get inspired, or follow them on IG. Once you send yours, help inspire others to do the same using the #18millionthanks hashtag on social media. Thank you!
