I started collecting shot glasses when I was 9 years old. I don't know why I chose shot glasses, maybe for the irony of a young boy purchasing a shot glass. I have hundreds of them, each reminding me of a trip or experience I've had. I value my collection, but it doesn't hold a candle to Grace's.
For the last 11 years my friend Grace has received a postcard every single day. Sometimes the letters are lengthy, sharing a story or expounding on a thought or feeling the writer had recently. Sometimes the letter is brief, reminding Grace that she is loved and cared for. An effect the letter itself carries simply by arriving.
Grace has kept every single postcard. She told me that she's framed a few special cards, one's with timeless advice or that stood out to her for personal reasons. I imagine piles of cards (over 4,000, if you're counting) inhabiting the space of bookshelves and totes in a spare room or garage. I like to think that on days when life isn't going her way, she might reach for a card in the middle of a random pile, one of countless reminders that she is cared for and loved.
This project would be a challenge for a team of authors, but it's a miracle that each card has been written by the same person. He just had a few guidelines for this project. Write everyday and sign each letter with "I love you."
What has this cost the writer? According to him, around six minutes, 48 cents, and a dash of ink a day. What has Grace gained? Possibly the most valuable collection of any kind: a lifetime of "I love you's" from her Dad.
There are an infinite number of things we can collect in this world, but let's take wisdom from the owner of the world's most valuable collection, "Collect what matters and give what matters."
Fact
The average person receives 120 emails a day.
The average household receives 21 pieces of handwritten mail a year.
Action
Write someone a handwritten letter today.
Question
What are you collecting? Does it matter?
Quote
"Write to someone you love every day, Jason. Not an email, text, or post. Print a stack of postcards with their address on one side and blank on the other side. Write them a note and put a stamp on it. Sign it with "I love you". You will invest about 6 minutes and around 48 cents. It's life changing." - Greg Wildhaber