(Note: To understand the story from the beginning click here.)
Project Inspire (full photo montage above) sparked a fantastic amount of feedback! Thank you!
I adored writing it up, despite my continuous battle with my stupid netbook (I can almost hear a Mac calling me), and it was lovely reminding myself of the characters that I met along the way. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to housemate, Bec, shout and burst out with laughter whilst reading it, “LUCKY!!!!” hahaha!
As you know by now, my mother is the core driving force behind this project. She is the reason that I am doing it. I will not forget that and I don’t want anyone else to either. This project is a gift, a tribute and a legacy for her. I keep imagining what her reaction would be to it all – a HUGE smile and a giggle, ‘Really, eeeeee pet – that’s fantastic!’
Through the journey of this project, I have found that it is naturally expanding, branching out and developing into whole new areas. I didn’t write any of this down as a plan. It has been organic, spontaneous and overwhelmingly magical. I can’t wait to see what else it may bring.
What has this project become about?
People:
Putting your faith back in people. Putting your faith back into communication.
I took a chance on people taking a chance on me. I’ve met so many new friends along the way too. The more amazing people I meet, the more inspired I am to push forward. I never intended for this to be a social experiment, but I guess that’s what it has become, in a way!
Global Reach:
Communicating around the world.
You often hear, ‘It’s a small world’. The fact that my postcard finders have not been locals, means that I have heard from folks globally which has been a special surprise.
Steph from New York finding one of my postcards in Paris has been one of my favourite parts of 60 Postcards so far. 6 degrees of separation is a theory that I often shrugged off. Not anymore. And just you wait until you hear one of my postcard responses from New York. It will blow your mind. I mean, I worried that it was so utterly serendipitous that you may not even believe me. Just you wait.
Children:
Getting the kids involved.
My Mum loved being a Mum. She wasn’t just a mother figure to us either, she became one to so many others too. On top of this she was incredibly passionate about education and her job as a teacher. That is why I am thrilled that her school have been in touch through letters to me and they have recently done a 60 postcards challenge of their own!
Project Inspire allowed me to meet two people in particular that I have kept in contact with by email – Max and Julie. I wanted to share their emails as they both mean a lot (cheers guys 🙂 )……
Max:
Email:
“Dear Rachael,
It wasn’t the last time that we spoke. Max has suggested a catch up over a pint when he visits London later this year and he will most certainly be one of the first people in my contact book that I visit when I am next in New York.
Julie
Email:
“When I got home that day, I looked at blog.
It is such a simple idea which makes it even more magical.
What a beautiful gift for your mom, truly.
One day you’ll have kids of your own and at some point you will wonder if you are raising them right, hoping they will turn out to be good people, hoping that they will know how to enjoy life and make the right choices so they can be happy and make people around them happy, even once you are not with them every minute of the day, showing them what to do or what direction to take…
I can tell you that wherever your mother is now, she is smiling and feels content, for she knows she did the right thing with you.
I didn’t find one of your postcards, but I got to meet you instead and it was just as special,
you made my day!
Love
Julie
PS: Next time you come to NY, let me know, I’ll help you hide postcards in Brooklyn!!!”
Julie’s words will stay with me. It was lovely to hear it from a Mum’s perspective. Another person that I hope to meet again one day!
So I still have plenty to talk about of course (postcard responses, 2 projects in NYC, Team Assist by the kids at Allenbourn), but I think that it’s time I passed this over to you as well! I’ve talked about Team 60 Postcards before and I am introducing a new way for you to get involved and to use this blog as a platform.
If you’d like to be part of it, just send a photo of yourself holding a postcard (preferably of where you are from) and send it to 60postcards@gmail.com along with a story about someone or something that has inspired you, or maybe a new challenge or project that you have done yourself. Spread the word and get your friends to do it; your cousin in Australia, your Nan or even your pet. Ok scrap that – pets probably won’t work ;). I’m excited to hear from you!
Finally I want to introduce the letters from the Allenbourn Middle School pupils. I got 18 lovely letters and I will end the next 18 posts with one of them. Tonight I will show the first……
Goodnight or Good morning,
Rachael x
Thanks so much Abi! This is so lovely and I really appreciate your words. Xx
60 POSTCARDS 
What a lovely letter from abi. It’s great that you are inspiring so many people around the world. You should be so very proud of yourself. Your mum would be very proud of you too xxx
God Rach, i have never read a post and not cried, its so hard to explain to my colleagues why i’m crying whilst i’m meant to be at work… working!
You are a very special person, well done, i’m proud of you and as always can not wait to read the next post, wish they were daily! xxx
Top blog. Quite inspirational.
“Intreeged” – that’s so cute! 🙂
Loving the serendipitous happenstance of your project Rachael, and also observing the change in your writing as the different threads of the story develop. It began in a slightly “I’ve just been to blog school” fashion, hope you don’t mind me saying (!), but increasingly your own style is emerging and your love of your Mum, your friends and your travels is really engaging. Bonne chance!