…this…
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Listen, sisters, it’s feeling a bit heavy in here so let’s all breathe & unruffle our feathers. (((Hugs))) all around, everybody is loved & appreciated here, even if it isn’t announced as much as some would prefer 
. There is a lot of action here, it can start to feel overwhelming to keep track of & that’s a shame when things could just stay light & lovely.
We can all only speak for ourselves here but FOR ME & in what I consider the spirit of this craftalong, anything I send is a gift freely given with no expectation of notification or reciprocation. It’s my pleasure sending out mail & I would feel completely terrible if I thought for even one second that it caused any sort of upset or anxiety to anybody in terms of acknowledging or replying.
Imma keep on loving your letters & replying in kind when time allows. XO to everybody
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Well said!
And I’m taking those ((hugs)) because life is pretty stressful right now (seemingly for all of us) and who couldn’t use some extra hugs 
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Life is stressful for all of us in different ways. It’s stressful if you’re still shielding and trying to avoid crowds and seeing too many people, it’s stressful to be back into the office because your employer requires it, it’s stressful to work from home and deal with disappearing boundaries between home and work. It’s stressful for people with children in school (or not in school due to Covid) it’s stressful for those who can’t work from home due to the nature of their jobs. In my own country the political situation is getting quite tense, and I know that’s the case in many places. Some people are suffering financially from the pandemic, others are suffering from Covid, it’s aftereffects or the effects it has had on our loved ones.
Personally, I’m back in the office fulltime, I’m working more hours than I’ve ever worked in my life, the pandemic has increased our workload and I’m still getting used to being in an office again. I usually open my mail on weekends or when I feel unusually energetic. I don’t do it daily, on purpose, because I want to take the time to properly read everything and give the cards a nice place in my house. I don’t want to open the envelopes, take a quick look at the cards and put them aside because I don’t have the energy to deal with them.
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I’m one of those who tries to make sure everyone gets a thank you, at least in the thread. Sometimes I include a photo but most often I don’t. Sometimes life overwhelms me and I forget altogether. So if I have hurt any feelings, I sincerely apologize. Please know that the fact that you thought of me and sent a bright spot in my day, truly matters to me, and my gratitude is real, even if inadequately expressed. My LC friends mean more to me than you can imagine. 
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@Reinikka, I think a fresh sign up from time to time is a good idea, as long as it’s not too much work for you.
Speaking for myself, I love sending mail out, but I don’t keep track of it, as I am very slow and random in my mail. I don’t mind not knowing if things are received. I think if someone has a lot going on and doesn’t have time/space/energy to message, then maybe that’s all the more reason they’d appreciate something bright and cheerful in their mailbox?
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Nobody is obliged to do anything or should feel guilty about anything.
And nobody should feel obliged to send anything in return. That’s not what Happy Mail is about.
Like I said before, I send Happy Mail because I love to put a smile on other people’s faces. I like to make the world around me a little prettier and happier.
But when it comes to a simple ‘thank you’, I sometimes feel I’m from a different planet.
To me receiving a gift is absolutely always followed by a ‘thank you’.
Isn’t that just a basic way of how people interact? Or am I lost in a different solar system?
(Of course it might take a while before you have time to do so, we all have busy lives, that is understood.)
Having difficulty keeping up? A simple note with a name or a couple of names next to your computer, or a note on your phone, or leaving the received mail next to your computer will solve that.
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Thanks @Ewulotta !
But please don’t feel bad about it. There’s no need for that.
I hope you really enjoy all the lovely Happy Mail you got!
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SOAP BOX TIME
I want everyone to be HAPPY (this is the Happy Mail Craftalong afterall…) but it doesn’t appear that everyone is happy.
This is a no pressure, no obligation craftalong. If anyone is not happy they have the option to not send. No one has the option to not receive. It is unreasonable to expect everyone to have the same free time, home environment, etc.
In a perfect world we would all be able to sit down with a warm & toasty or cool & refreshing drink, disconnect from the world and relax while catching up on happy mail. We’d all be able to open and enjoy each piece and then we’d have time and ability to share our joys with the greater Happy Mail community.
But the reality is that we are all different! It’s wonderful that some of us have time, money, and the ability to send every month. It’s wonderful that some of us can take the time to write a heartfelt thanks. Believe me, all mail is appreciated! But if it starts to feel like a chore to anyone then it’s not happy anymore and it won’t be appreciated any more.
I HATE picking sides. But I have to put my organizer’s foot down: This is a HAPPY zone. No more negativity. No more projecting our personal desires and expectations on anyone else
I had/have a daunting list of things I want and need to do in my personal life and after posting last night that list just about doubled in the blink of an eye… This morning, for the first time ever, I wanted to walk away from LC and the craftalong… I wanted to throw my arms in the air and quit. I don’t want to spill my personal struggles here. I’m not going to get into it. But all of us are having/will have/have had times in our lives where just waking up in the morning was a chore and a fight to accomplish… Happy Mail should never be a burden or a chore.
YES, “thank yous” are great. We should all try to say thanks when we receive, but it’s not a requirement of the craftalong. Sorry/not sorry… I won’t expect everyone to be perfect. Life happens. Kids, families, jobs, school, mental health, dogs, cats, pets, doctor appointments, vet appointments, family health, vacations, moving, computer access, internet bandwidth, desk space, money, errands, cooking, cleaning, flooding, fires, traffic, COVID, etc, etc, etc… There is a lot going on out there. Let’s leave the negativity at the door and move forward.
Please 
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Now I still have a **** ton of things I want to do… and another **** ton of things I have to do. So I’m off. No more fighting 
I probably wont be on LC anymore today. I need a break.
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@Reinikka, there is no fight going on at all and no negativity. Seriously.
And yes, we all have busy, complicated, sometimes difficult lives. Everybody has.
And yet we find time to spread happiness, for instance through sending Happy Mail, but also by just talking with each other on this forum.
Isn’t that wonderful?
Don’t be stressed about it.
One last remark (in no way meant as a fight): thanking someone for a gift does NOT make it a swap, does not fill it with obligations at all.
Don’t feel the need to send ‘everyone’ ‘every month’ Happy Mail. Don’t feel the need to send anything in return. Don’t feel any pressure.
Just be Happy with the Happy Mail you receive. And share that happiness. Isn’t that what this craftalong is all about?
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This craftalong is so wonderful. There is so much negative crap in this world, this should be a happy, welcoming place. Real life can be crazy sometimes -we all know that. This craftalong is special to so many of us. @Reinikka has put her heart and soul into this craftalong. I am so thankful to her and everyone who participates. It is okay if you don’t send out every month or if you don’t say thank you. Just let your love flow when it can.
Let’s move forward, then back, then forward again and now we are cha cha-ing. In all serious-let’s just have fun-be forgiving and loving when it is needed and it is always needed.
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lol I hope that people don’t mind getting postcards from my Colorado trip…I am a bit behind…lol
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I just got my very first happy mail postcard from @bluebird. Thanks so much! It put a smile on my face!!
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I try to stay with the theme but sometimes I just find cute cards that need to be sent.
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I’m hardly ever true to theme!
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I never bother with the theme.
I think having a theme is great when you want to make your own cards and cannot find inspiration. Or when you want to craft with a common theme.
For now I have cards printed with my original drawings or designs.
(I couldn’t craft all the cards myself, because my hands would hurt too much.)
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Well, I do feel bad about it because it should be easy to say thank you. And it should be easy to keep up.
But sometimes it’s not. So I made a decision. I’ve just asked @Reinikka to take me off the list of participants. I’ll still send happy mail every now and then to the people I’ve met here. Just because…
Thank you all for the lovely cards and letters you sent me! They always made me happy.
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I’ve received some lovely mail over the last week or two
A super stylish card and coaster from @photojenn, fabulous library cat card from @Magpie, cool ephemera from @LadybugsAndBees, and not one but two beautiful cards from @Amfkinney! (New Zealand mail times are so random atm 
) thank you all
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