[Week 24.09] Postcards for Mother

This week, a friend shared that he and his sister send each other "Postcards For Mother", which are notes to one  another that keep the stories and inspirations of their mother current in their memory. I had never heard of this before and found it fascinating to think of how wonderful it would be to deploy this approach to keep the memory of a loved one alive and  to stay in contact with the people who also share this memory. Postcards For Mother provide the opportunity to reflect on things said and unsaid, allowing us to see inside the experience of another. Double-clicking on the idea can be a metaphor and modality for deepening shared experiences and delivering reflections. Opening the aperture a little wider could become a context to share stories, a lovely way to deliver a compliment or insight. Here are some of the ways that I can think of using this technique:

Send a compliment from the past. A Postcard For Mother provides the perfect opportunity to remember words of affirmation that were meaningful in the past. Telling someone the impact of a compliment they gave you years ago can be incredibly heartwarming and meaningful. You can remind them of a time when the way that they or someone you love showed up for you in a moment of need. This is an opportunity to let someone know that they have done a good job, that you care and recognize their effort and appreciate them. In reflecting on my own life, I know that I do not devote enough time to showing appreciation for those around me. Feeling gratitude and sharing gratitude are not the same thing, and I think that sending a weekly “Postcard for Mother” to someone I notice each week would improve both my life and the lives of those around me.

Share advice from the heart. We all receive wisdom from parents and elders that sticks with us through life. We can all reflect on a formative conversation at a key inflection point. Sending a Postcard that shares an impactful piece of advice someone once gave you is a thoughtful way to pass it on and keep the wisdom flowing. My friend’s postcards have his Mother as the “intended recipient” and often have a light and witty air about them. He finds that this humorous and lighthearted approach is an effective way to deliver advice, open a conversation, share a memory, or just laugh. Combined with clever pictures or postcard selection, these little cards can be great conversation starters or keepsakes of timeless advice long-forgotten.

Share a memory. Postcards allow us to reminisce about meaningful memories and the people we share them with. Describe a nostalgic moment or a funny story that captures the essence of your relationship. Too much of life passes us by, never to be remembered. “Remember whens” are an important part of sharing these collective memories with those we love. They strengthen our relationships and our understanding of ourselves together in the form of shared values, narratives, and heritage. Postcards For Mother allows us to relive beautiful memories and perhaps open our minds to adjacent memories that can add richness to current experiences and help us gain perspective, humility, and inspiration.

In our busy digital world, it's all too easy to lose sight of the emotional bonds that truly nourish us. Postcards For Mother offers a tangible antidote—a way to nurture connections by sharing nostalgic memories, heartfelt compliments, and timeless words of wisdom. These simple postcards are mementos to remind us of what matters most: the relationships that add meaning and joy. They prompt us to celebrate the people who have touched our lives, to reminisce fondly, to show genuine appreciation. More than the words they carry, Postcards For Mother represents a commitment to strengthening ties through simple gestures. They reinforce that amid the breakneck pace, nothing is more vital than genuine emotional connection. Each handwritten note celebrates the power of small, thoughtful expressions to nourish relationships and leadership alike. Ultimately, these postcards inspire us to carry the warmest parts of shared history with us into the future.

With love, gratitude, and wonder.

Scott