Confessions of a sentimentalist | 3.5 minute read

When I was a kid, my Mom packed lunches that were the envy of my classmates. Dunkaroos, Oreos, Fruit by the Foot (and real fruit, even if it went ignored).

There was one lunch, in grade seven, when a classmates told me, “you always have the best lunches.” That stuck with me. It meant my Mom cared.

But it isn’t the snacks I remember most fondly. It’s the notes my Mom packed in the brown bags among the treats.

“Have a good day, dude. I love you.” Something along those lines.

I never showed them to anyone, but I’d pocket and treasure them until, I’m sure, my Mom did my laundry and they got churned into pulp the way, as an adult, bar receipts now do.

Were the notes a regular thing? A one-time thing? My memory’s a bit hazy. You’ll have to let me know, Lynn. Either way, it meant something. It was a reminder that someone cared about me.

I’m an adult now and I’m still as sentimental as I was then.

Over the years, I’ve received notes from friends and loves; sent notes to friends and loves. Physical notes, cards, emails, text messages.

Some I’ve kept — tucked into a journal here, pinned to a cork board there — and some I’ve tucked away in the recesses of my mind.

Some have been life-affirming.

We can do anything.

Some have been seemingly innocuous, but filled with meaning.

Thanks for having us. We had a blast. Your home is beautiful.

Some attached to gifts, borrowing words from others, that made me think.

Until the lion learns how to write, every story will glorify the hunter.

Some written by a person in my current life.

You light up my life.

Some written by a person from a past life.

You are the kind of person that people in this world should be so lucky to encounter.

And some have been sent by you after reading these weekly emails. They mean more than you think.

Great read 🙂 I always feel like I’m just sitting beside you chatting, reading them.

No matter how big or how small, each thoughtfully scribbled word has left an etching on my heart, lifted me up when I’ve been down, and reminded me: there are people in this world who care.

I think that’s lovely. Don’t you think we should all share these reminders more often?

The pebble

The challenge

Write someone a note. A friend, a loved one, an old teacher you haven’t thanked and know you should (I did just that a few years ago and, let me tell you, it felt great).

We also recently discovered a cool tool for getting, giving, and keeping track of notes. It’s called PraiseJar. Give it a try — it’s totally free.

Thanks for reading. We’re honoured you’ve spent a bit of your day with us. If you’re feeling generous, why not forward this email to a friend — and share a little note of your own?