Stolen {with good intentions}

I believe in choosing words wisely.
I believe in written communication.
I believe in this challenge.

Kelle Hampton, the author of Enjoying the Small Things {kellehampton.com}, a blog that I follow religiously, introduced me to the Hallmark Challenge. Well, if you know me, you know I loooooove Hallmark. Like really love it. More than I love Martha Stewart products! Annnd...I love a good challenge. Like the blog author, I am also a firm believer in the beauty of handwritten correspondence. Liz Carpenter says it perfectly:

What a lot we lost when we stopped writing letters.
You can't reread a phone call.

There is just something magical about opening your mailbox to find an unexpected card or letter tucked between the pile of bills and useless commercial advertising. Pure magic is found in holding a letter or card in your hand, knowing that someone cares about you enough to take time out of their life to create something special just for you. It's so much more than just money spent, it's the time spent, it's the thoughts and energy used. It's something they wanted you to know so badly, they just had to jot it down. Something they wanted to put in writing, to be there for eternity.

I think that's why I have lived my life with an obsession with fonts, type and written words. It's a way of communicating that is tangible. In addition to being able to hold a conversation in your hand, it allows you to emotionally connect with another person. Just like the other blog I follow {todaysletters.com} , I do believe that:

There are many things that can change a life...a letter is one of them.

So true! So, for the next 9 days, I am going to take this challenge and run with it {9 days instead of 7 because there are 9 days left in the month so it just evens out}. I am going to focus on what I want to say and who I want to say it to. There are many people in my life that deserve to hear an encouraging word or a congratulations of some sort. Many others that need to hear that I'm always going to be here, no matter where the road leads, and those that would be delighted with a "hello" or an "I love you forever." Words have an impact, I truly believe that. Starting tomorrow, I'm going to thoughtfully pick 9 different people that I feel would benefit from this challenge. That's 9 cards or 9 letters, 9 stamps, 9 envelopes, 9 addresses and 9 ways for me to encourage somebody else. Pretty beautiful, isn't it? And the best part of this challenge is....I think it will have more of an impact than I expect.