The World Needs More Love Letters!

Today is my birthday! It is not a big one but a year that firmly plants you in your late twenties. I feel great about it actually, though I wish I could be with close family and friends.

For the last three years I have booked a show, where rehearsals start the week or two before my birthday. The first year that I had my birthday away from home, I didn't expect much celebration from my new friends. I had mentioned jokingly one day that I wanted a "Betel-Breakfast" themed birthday, meaning breakfast for dinner with a pancake cake and one of my favorite movies "Betelguese" playing in the background. These new friends took it seriously and made all of my silly Betelguese birthday wishes come true. I was so surprised and touched by their efforts to make me happy, it actually ended up being one of the best birthdays I have ever had.

Every year that my birthday falls right at the beginning of rehearsals, I don't expect to have much of a party. But once again my new cast provided a great birthday for me this year and I am so very grateful for their loving kindness.

This leads me to Hannah Brencher's TED talk which I am so happy to share with you. Hannnah Brencher is the founder of a website called The World Needs More Love Letters. I discovered this website after I watched her speech on TED last year. I was so inspired by what I heard. When I needed to find out more, I went to the website and this is how they joyfully describe what they do:

"...we write and mail love letters, handwritten love letters, to strangers in need all over the world. We’re going to invite you to request a love letter for someone in your life who needs one. And we’re going to insist that you step out of your own shoes of Comfort & join us. You are going to think we are a bit crazy. A tad loopy. But you’ve been looking for a website that leaks love all this time… so we aren’t worried you’ll leave us."


These love letters aren't meant for romance, they are meant to spread platonic love and encouragement to others. My favorite thing that Hannah encourages, is for people to write anonymous love letters to strangers and hide them in public places for others to find. I have to say that this is my favorite kind of love letter to write, one that is intended to accidentally brighten someones else's day. I also really love sneaking around looking for a perfect spot to hide the letter after it is written. This week, moreloveletters.com is teaming up with Kind bars and sponsoring a week-long campaign to paper your city with love letters for others. Today on my birthday, they are having a world-wide letter writing party to kick off the week! I am hoping that I can encourage my cast to write love letters today in support.

This is a photo of a love letter that I left in the seat of an airplane, when I was traveling to and from Myrtle Beach for an audition. I love hiding love notes!

Here is Hannah's Ted Talk, it is only about 6 minutes and it is so worth watching...that is all I am asking of you for my birthday :)

http://www.ted.com/talks/hannah_brencher_love_letters_to_strangers.html

Here is her website too!

http://www.moreloveletters.com/

Have a great day!