Let me don my teacher hat, and share with you how I write
Any Hero Mail for
Operation Write Home. Your cards don't have to be patriotic. You can even use (gasp) store bought cards. I spent some time thinking about how I've done this over the years and realized I have a basic formula.
1st paragraph - Greeting
2nd paragraph - Around Here
3rd paragraph - Closing, Thank You
This is what works for me. The "around here" paragraph is what seems to stump people.
Here's what I wrote in 8 cards this weekend:
March 30, 2013
Greetings from Charlotte, NC! I hope this card finds you safe and well.
From my window, I see signs of spring. Trees are greening and budding, and birds are chirping and singing. I love this season.
Thank you for your service to our country. I can't imagine being so far from home for so long, and I appreciate all you do. Know that you are in the thoughts and prayers of many grateful Americans.
Take care,
Dixie Cochran
If you're writing in a card, you have limited space. Drafting your message before writing will help you make adjustments for length. You can use the same message for multiple cards, but remember to band them together for your shipper. I usually mark them as "all alike" or "same author."
When I go to a school for students to write Any Hero Mail, we do some brainstorming before they begin a draft. I list their ideas on the board.
(Thinking Maps - Circle Map for you teachers out there!) This gets students thinking, and sharing ideas is always a plus.
Take a moment to brainstorm some ideas to include in your next Any Hero messages. I'll begin a list, and I hope
you will add your ideas in the comment section. I think our Heroes appreciate hearing about "normal" things. When I was a shipper for OWH, I got the most wonderful responses from my contacts when I included a picture of dogwood blooms with the Legend of the Dogwood taped to the back.
- sports
- hobbies
- celebrations
- jokes/riddles
- pets
- gardens (I love writing about tomatoes)
- children's antics
- music
- fun/positive things from the news
- books
- seasonal events
The cards pictured in this post are ones I've used for Hero Mail in the past.
I hope you'll help me expand the "what to write" list! I'll update my post periodically.
