The Mailbox Project

Head pounding from the sinus infection I’d picked up while touring Australia and New Zealand, I emptied my suitcase and started the laundry. Besides a trip to the grocery store, only one other onerous task remained. I truly dreaded going out to the mailbox. 

Sorting through junk mail and paying the bills I knew awaited me was a task I likened to a dental appointment. While I didn’t expect anything unusual to present itself, the idea that it might, made me edgy, wary. What I really wanted to do—after laying down for a good nap—was to take a beach walk and let my mind drift where it wanted. 

Instead, I shoved aside my unease, plopped on my sunglasses, and concentrated on not tripping down the stairs or as I made my way across the driveway to the seashell-encrusted mailbox. In those fifteen steps or so, an inner voice whined: 

Why is re-entry from a fabulous vacation such absolute drudgery?

Sighing, I released the box’s black latch and peered inside. Hmmm… not the thick stack of rubber-banded mail I expected. Just a colorful, bi-folded card, placed neatly in the middle of the dark space. I puzzled the card’s lack of an envelope, and its solitary presence. Who would have dropped me a note without placing it in an envelope with a return address?

I studied the 5×7 card. The light pink exterior held a hand-crafted rainbow, three white fluffy cumulus clouds, and some V-shaped squiggles that I assumed were meant to be birds. Inside, the sender had printed, by hand, a message in bright pink marker. I surmised from the uneven penmanship that the author was a young child. The message was simple, and it covered both of the interior pages. 

“You won the mailbox contest Love Laila”

I shut the mailbox—not angrily, but with careless abandon—and stepped onto the driveway to re-read the small notecard. My mind filled with a myriad of questions. What is the mailbox project? What did my win entail? And who is Laila? 

Suddenly self-conscious, I twisted around, scanning the streetscape, wondering if Laila might be observing my bewildered reaction. A bit spooked, I trudged into the house. Propping the card prominently on the kitchen counter, I did what some of you dear readers are contemplating at this moment. I opened my laptop and typed, “the mailbox project,” into the search bar. I will spare you the suspense and the effort. Nothing comes up. So, I signed into my social media accounts to check for a trending online story or movement that had yet to make it onto reputable news outlets. Nada. 

Perplexed and frustrated, I sauntered back into the kitchen and picked up Laila’s card again. I considered two key phrases in the message: “You won” and “Love Laila.” As I stood there, it occurred to me that I was working too hard at solving the mystery of the mailbox project. A smile eased across my features, edging out (temporarily) the throbbing in my sinuses. Perhaps, the meaning was as simple as Laila’s card. Maybe, what I had won was just a message of good will from a stranger—a child named Laila—and the mailbox project was her idea of a random act of kindness. A post-Easter blessing, if you will. 

I teared up. At the very moment I needed it most, a stranger had infused joy into my less than desirable day. The very same topic about which I blogged last month, uploaded to my website, and posted on social media. Recalling the specifics of that essay, an idea surfaced. There should be a trending post on social media about any project that brings joy and a smile to a stranger’s face. “The Mailbox Project” should be a recognizable thing. 

So, this is my little thank you to Laila, whoever she is. A blog post and social media story applauding her creativity and good deed. She—and whoever else decides to take up the cause of leaving love notes in stranger’s mailboxes—deserves credit for perpetuating “The Mailbox Project.”

Dear readers, I hope you will help with Laila’s cause by sharing this post. If we are successful, perhaps one day we’ll read on Wikipedia something like this: 

“The Mailbox Project” was started by an anonymous young artist named Laila on Longboat Key, Florida. She used her talents to color pictures on 5×7 notecards and drop them randomly in the mailboxes of unsuspecting strangers. Her goal was simple. To offer kindness, a note of love, thereby bringing joy to those who might be poor in spirit.

Here’s to you Laila, inventor of “The Mailbox Project,” may the sun always shine on you and all your endeavors. 

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On April 22, Hilary Russo, the host of HIListically Speaking Podcast will have Julie on her show to converse about how we heal and make ourselves whole.

On April 28, Julie shares her adoption search and reunion story with host, Cassie Burton, from the Curiosity Junkie Podcast. 

On May 4, Julie will talk about trauma, grief, and healing with Dr.Torie Williams on the Be VicTorieus podcast. 

On May 15, the Book Club at Pottawattomie Country Club in Michigan City, Indiana will host Julie’s discussion of her memoir, Twice a Daughter. Jennifer, Julie’s twin sister and major character in her memoir, will share the stage for an unforgettable discussion.

On May 18,  Adoption:The Making of Me Podcast will have Julie on their show to talk about how adoption affected her life journey and the impact of writing about it.

On May 20, Julie will speak to the Women’s Philanthropic Education Organization (PEO), Hinsdale chapter, at Hinsdale Methodist Church about her journey as an adoptee and writer. 

On June 4, Julie will guest on the Trauma Survivorhood Podcast with Sarah Miley.

To listen to other podcasts where Julie shares about her books, adoption story, and perspectives on all things related to identity, family, and belonging, go here (the media tab on her website).

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