18 months ago, when I launched The Letter Project, I had no idea what I was doing. In fact, I just posted the idea of it here on my blog, thinking it might be a little campaign I try out. I had no idea what kind of growth and support I'd receive.
Also? I had no plan. Literally. No systems to organize the requests. No business goals. No concept of how I'd pay for the postage. Nothing. It was an idea I had one day over lunch with a friend and, within 24 hours, I'd posted it. Excel sheets? Nope. Forms to document requests? Nada. Terms and conditions to protect myself legally? Not a thing, butterbean.
The day I launched (though "launch" sounds like it was more organized than it really was!), Chris and I went to dinner to celebrate. The fact that I'd shared it with the world and received positive feedback felt like something worth acknowledging.
I posted a photo on Instagram and captioned it "celebrate we will." Minutes later, a friend texted me: why are you celebrating? She was only being curious, but I immediately felt ashamed. She knew about The Letter Project. Did she not think it was worth commemorating? Were we being overly indulgent? Were we making something out of nothing? I felt so embarrassed. (Though, it's worth noting this was far from her intention - she was just trying to be a good friend!)
My niece, Della, celebrating life in a big way. :)
As I reflected on it later that night, I realized accusing someone of over-celebrating isn't exactly an insult. In fact, I want to be just the type of person who does over-celebrate.
I want to take time to recognize small victories. I want to slow down enough to appreciate little wins. I want to sink into the goodness life offers us - both big and small - whenever I can. I want to be vulnerable to the abundant joy life provides, whether it be through big news, like our CNN shoot, or tiny things, like the fact that the previous homeowners planted beautiful spring tulips that just popped up.
So today, I'm celebrating. It's Friday, it's supposed to be 83 degrees and I'm having an iced coffee later. To me, those three things are worth all of the praise.