Our daughters were fortunate to know, spend time, and make memories with this group of women that we referred to collectively as “the four great grandmas.”

When my husband and I moved away from our hometown, it was important to find ways to still nurture these relationships. When the girls were young, they would draw pictures we could mail out to the great grandmas. When the girls began to read and write, some of their first tasks were letters to the great grandmas. I also began to send out short letters to each of them every few weeks.

For me, the whole act of letter writing is a source of simple contentment. It starts with finding the perfect greeting cards. I am often drawn to ones created by local artists, crafters, or photographers.

I then sit down with a cup of tea and share a little snapshot of what has been going on in my life. A trip to the post office to pick out the latest stamps is even fun for me. I then send off my piece of mail with love. These women have never had email and have never been on social media. However, as I was often told by them as well as others, upon receiving their good oldfashioned mail, they had the same joy and contentment as I did in sending it.

It has been six years now since the last of the great grandmas left us. Though I still send out Christmas cards every year to family and old friends, a few years ago I realized how much I missed sending mail throughout the year. This led me on a search of where I might send some letters.

One of the first places I discovered was More Love Letters. The mission of this organization is simple spread love throughout the world with letters. They collect requests for people needing a little bit of extra love and support.

Each month More Love Letters shares the story of several people you can write to. They have an email list that you can subscribe to, where they send the requests to you once a month. If you know someone who is struggling, you can also nominate them to be the recipient of loving letters from around the world. www. moreloveletters.com.

One of my Remembrance Day traditions is to begin writing letters to those serving in the Canadian Armed Forces. Mail is always appreciated and you can address your letter to, “Any Canadian Armed Forces Member,” which can be sent to P.O Box 5004 Station Forces, Belleville, Ontario, K89 5W6.

Another annual tradition for me is to participate in Amnesty International’s Write for Rights. This is a global human rights campaign each December, focusing on bringing attention to several cases of injustice throughout the world. As millions of letters pour in for the individuals highlighted in these cases, real change can happen in their situations. https://www.amnesty.org/en/getinvolved/write-for-rights/

This year, as visits are limited for residents of long-term care homes, many places are encouraging folks to write out a few extra Christmas cards to send and brighten someone’s day.

As the weather turns colder and we are being encouraged to stay home more due to rising COVID-19 cases, perhaps you will find the act of letter writing a source of contentment for you too. The letters don’t have to be long or profound. I find that sharing the simple things — spotting wildlife, something funny that happened in your day, or something that made you smile can be enough to bring a little joy to others.

-Denise Leduc