{self care} start a mail tribe

I am so excited to share this idea with you - it is one of the coolest things I have done in a while.

Inspired after sending letters from Paris this summer, I asked a group of women I knew only online if they wanted to start a MAIL TRIBE! Buoyed by our interest in slowing down and communicating in new/old ways, we decided to send monthly, long, handwritten letters to each other. We started this month and each week I am thrilled to get real mail for me!

We write one letter to the group, and make copies to send to each member. Sometimes, we might add special notes or items for individuals - but the idea is one great letter out to a group of great women.

If you need a reason to write, to slow down and feel community with women from all over the world - you can start one too!

Your group will serve the needs of the participants, of course, but here are a few tips:

- Decide who to invite and how many participants is a manageable number. We did not want to go over ten letter writers. That number allowed the postage, especially for the internationals, to be manageable.

- Think about the people you regularly bump into on FB or other social media, start a "group" and invite them. Be sure to tell them that if they are not interested or able to participate now, that is OK and there are no hard feelings. You only want members who can enthusiastically participate.

- Decide how long the project will last. We have all agreed to participate for 6 months and will then reevaluate the project.

- Be honest upfront and set any "rules." We specifically did not want this to be a competitive endeavor, with each letter trying to outdo the previous (have you ever experienced this with a mama group). However, if one of us has extra time one month, or wants to try something new - we say, "go for it!" But the basic requirement is a letter. That is it.

- This is a personal reflection. I do not hold strong expectations. If for any reason someone in the group is unable to finish with their letters, it is fine. I will still send my letters for the session and wish the mama well. Life is unpredictable and I care about the women in the group, this project is about spreading love and writing for yourself. The mail you receive back is just icing on the cake.

If you have done this or plan to, let me know your ideas!

If you are interested in writing your story back to yourself, join me in my next lab, A Book About Me. It is much more than a journalling class. You can read more here.