I love mail. I am one of those mail-lovers that loves mail so much that I would rather get a bill in my mailbox than nothing.
I know, there’s something wrong with that, but it’s the way I am.
So imagine my delight yesterday when I went to my mailbox and there was an envelope personally addressed to me. A big envelope! I was so excited.
I hurried up the stairs, into my house and ripped open the end. I’m not patient enough to find a letter opener and do it neatly. No, I mutilate every envelope that comes into my possession.
Anyway, inside the envelope was a treasure. There was a check! But, that wasn’t the biggest treasure. The check was for a book which I mailed to a teacher. She read my first book to her class and now she is reading the second Double Cousins Mystery. The students wrote me letters.
That was the treasure.
Have I ever said how much I like mail? Have I said how much I like kids? And, just to be clear. . . have I said how much I like mail from children who have read my book and want to tell me about it?
Well, I do.
The most amazing thing for me is that these children remind me of myself when I was young. The excitement. The ability to relate to the characters in such a way that they become real to them. I admit it, I wanted to call Max and Carly and tell them all about the letters. I even wanted to email Slim! But wait, they are just figments of my imagination.
Anyway, I received suggestions of future book ideas involving England, the watches being stolen AGAIN, unicorns, Cam Jansen, a horse running, a missing snapping turtle, and my favorite—a robbery at the Fifth-Third Bank. My husband and I just had a conversation while driving the other day about how the Fifth-Third bank got its name. . .
The most un-surprising thing about the letters was that Slim is something of a hero. This was not my intention when I wrote the first book, but it became obvious with the first batch of letters I received from Miss Clark’s class in Pennsylvania way before my first book was ever published. Those kids are probably in high school now. . . hmmmm.
Slim was supposed to be a “one book character.” But, the readers didn’t agree. In the first batch of letters it was suggested that the books should be called “The Mysteries of Slim”. Well! So much for the author controlling the characters.
I couldn’t help but think yesterday, as I read those letters what a positive thing kind words can be. My day was busy and a little worrisome. However, as I stood in my living room laughing out loud with joy over the letters from my readers I realized again the truth of the verse Proverbs 25:25.
As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. Proverbs 25:25
So, today my thirsty soul is satisfied due to a class of students in Chicago! Maybe you can share a good word with someone you meet today. You never know what kind of impact your kind word might have!
