Write an encouraging note to someone once a week

This is the entry that I have to remember all over again because what I already wrote evaporated before my eyes when I hit the backspace button to replace a word. oh brother. Well, here goes trying to remember it all.

There were two nice ladies, trying to share some art with people. They were ok little artists. I wrote them each a nice note, encouraging their work and their efforts.

I have a friend who was under so much stress that she forgot a meeting. I emailed her to see if she was ok. She was not. I wrote her an encouraging note and it made her feel better to realize that someone was on her side.

Another friend and I have been working on music projects together for a while, and recently found out that in a couple of weeks our work may change…drastically. We don’t know if we will even see each other regularly. I wrote her a nice note of appreciation for her friendship, assuring her that we would still be friends no matter what other people have us do.

One of my very dearest friends just had a birthday. I thought of going over and “heart attacking” her yard . . . the morning OF her 45th birthday. I’m sad that I didn’t think of that ahead of time, but there was no time that very day. She wakes up earlier than I do. So I wrote her a birthday note, wishing her all the wonderfulness I hoped she would have that day. She appreciated it.

I did the same for a sister-in-law a few days earlier and found that she had been in the hospital on her birthday. No fun. :( I wrote her a get well note, hoping that she would recover quickly and that her family was able to treat her to some spoiling when she returned home.

So I have had a pretty busy March with this goal. I don’t know why I don’t write these things down more often!

. . . and it just disappeared. That happens from time to time, but I hate it so much.

On December 5th, 2010, my so-called best friend crossed a line so far she can’t even look back and see the line. She totally blew it. It was awful and embarrassing and outrageous.

She threw a loud temper tantrum at the reception following my piano recital. I think she suffers from a severely demented case of “It’s not my birthday syndrome,” at least that’s what I always call it when a child acts like a complete brat on his or her siblings’ birthdays. I was getting all the attention for once and I guess she couldn’t stand it, although her tirade was actually directed toward someone else. I still haven’t figured out why—WHY would she choose that time and place to fling a fit?!

My anger has subsided now and I am able to remember the roaring applause I received and the parts of my performance that particularly pleased me. The pain does linger, but that may be because she hasn’t spoken to me since that night. That’s another thing I can’t figure out. :(

Meanwhile, I’ve been reaching over that line she crossed to let her know I am not holding any grudges. I’ve written her several emails (nice long, heartfelt ones with plenty of lovingkindness). No response. I sent her a hand-painted Christmas card complete with the annual family letter. Not a word in return. I even sent her pictures from my camera of herself having fun with me and my mom. Still nothing.

Could she be so mortified at what she did that she is afraid to even talk to me? I’d rather not just write her off, but my heart hurts. Maybe she really and truly is just a little brat and I’m better off without her.

Her birthday’s in March. I think I’ll send her a card.

Remember in 2nd grade, when your teacher wanted a volunteer, she’d pull a popsicle stick with a name on it out of a snowman mug some past student had given her for Christmas one year?

I just thought about that. It was fun. Well, it’s summer now and we have popsicles. So I decided to write the names of my friends and family members on the sticks to help me choose who gets my weekly NiceNote.

I did not eat any popsicles today, however, so I went on a search around the house for used ones. It was like an Easter egg hunt! So many interesting crevices under, behind and between things. Who knew? Anyway, I found FOURTEEN! That’s a good start, and now whenever I eat a popsicle, someone else will get a nice note from me. :)

Surely something I’ve written is missing here. No? Well, I kept up with writing monthly NiceNotes to my 8-10 unknown “friends” until someone else took over for me four months ago. I still have one letter like that to write every month, but it’s really kind of fun to tell someone who doesn’t know you all kinds of random facts about yourself.

Oh yeah. I guess if you’re reading this, you’re on 43T and you are already aware of this. Heh. :)

My life got away from me this month. I was substitute teaching almost all month and didn’t even get VALENTINES out to my daughters! I always do that. Even when they were little and lived here, I sent them large pink or red envelopes full of extravagant nonsense just because of l♥ve. Well, last year they told me that they always like my packages, but they really wanted valentines from boys, so I may really be off the hook for this until they are married.

In other news, I now have eleven notes to write to people I don’t know. Eleven. That’s a lot, but I got it done in one day and decorated the envelopes all cute, so these people who leave themselves out don’t have to feel left out.

That’s about it, I think, but I have been encouraging people in other ways. I went and visited a lonely friend today for an hour and a half. I have been taking dinner to a little pregnant couple every Wednesday and will continue to do so until their baby (and thusly a grandma or two) arrives.

So even though I haven’t sat down to write a lot of notes this month, I’m really doing ok in the supportive friend role. :)

I’ve not been very diligent about posting this when I do it, so maybe having this as a “goal” is more pointless than it seems.

In December, I sent out about 40 Christmas cards and ran out of time before I got the neighbors’ hand-delivered. I also wrote 7 letters to people on pretty black and white stationery that I decorated with red and green accents.

This month, I have gotten 6 or 7 Christmas cards with the 2008 letters in them, so I’m thinking it might not be too late after all to send out my remaining cards. I have written the 7 notes that I do every month and they are ready to be mailed.

I put this goal up to remind me to write to my friends, my sister, my daughters, and my mom, even though I talk to all of them regularly. I should probably either use this for the purpose it was intended or take it off my list.

We’ll see how this month goes.

She moved far away and I hardly ever get to see her or talk to her. I don’t even have her email address. I do have her home address, though, and her birthday was in October, so I wrote her a nice letter.

I wrote some other notes, too, and decorated all the envelopes with cute Fall patterns across the bottom. I also designed a really cool postcard so I can send Anonymous NiceNotes.

October was pretty productive during the slow bits at the Corn Maze!

In the almost month since I last posted here, I’ve written six notes. None of them were to my sister. I think she will have to be next.

Update: My sister called the middle of October to say she was coming for a visit and she stayed overnight at my house. I have since sent her 5th child a birthday card and talked to her twice on the phone.

There are some people who have been kind of MIA for a while, and I thought they would enjoy some contact, so I wrote each of them a nice little note on some really cute stationery, and finished each note off by drawing matching designs around their names on the envelopes.

Hopefully, they will smile to know that someone cared enough to add the little extras.