Secret Post Club

One of the many lessons that I learnt the year that I worked at a Summer Camp in America was the power of the post. Watching kids who are almost incurably homesick tear open a letter from their family and hastily devour its contents is enough to melt the hardest of hearts.

Getting a hand written letter, lovingly put together parcel or scrawled postcard can bring a smile to your face any day of the week. And when thought and a little bit of humour has gone into it, so much the better. My favourite item that arrived in the post at camp was a milk carton with a mocked up 'missing child' announcement on the side; a humourous and yet plaintive plea from a mother for her child to write and tell her he was at least still out there somewhere and hadn't had a mishap on the lake or been eaten by a passing bear.

Since then I've made every effort to put a little postal joy in people's lives and I applaud anyone who does the same. The year that I lived in Portugal I envied my friend Clare who took it in turns with a friend of hers to send random joyful parcels back and forth to and from the UK throughout the year. My random act of postal kindness that year was to send postcards to friends and family at semi-regular intervals, a steady stream of little thoughts and memories scribbled on the free postcards available in bars across the city. And post from the heart works, that was the year I managed to worm my way back into the life of an old school friend who is now my best mate and who I couldn't be without, all with a series of postcards to remind her that I was still out there somewhere thinking of her.

So when I read about the Secret Post Club I suddenly realised that this is the reason that I write a blog! The brainchild of Heather Sunderland, author of the Notes from Lapland Blog, the Secret Post Club pairs fellow bloggers together, who then send a parcel each month to another blogger. As soon as I read about it I had to be part of it, so I sent an email immediately. I'm now officially accepted and signed up to take part in July - I'm so excited!

Watch this space to find out what I send (although not until the recipient gets the parcel!) and what I get in return.