Monday, September 10, 2012

Heartsisters.

I am a member of a forum and a group of people on there have banded together to become Heartsisters to other members.  We get the name and some basic information of someone and she becomes our Heartsister for the year.  The idea is to write a letter, send a card, small gift, something, each month to let that person know that we are thinking of them.    We in turn have a Heartsister that sends to us.  I think it's a lovely idea and though it has been going for a few years on the forum this is my first year of being involved.  

This morning I received letters and small gifts from my Heartsister.  She is a lovely, generous woman and I think I am lucky to have her as my sending Heartsister.   I don't know if she reads this, probably doesn't but I thank her for all she sends me.   On the forum we have a thread where we can let our Heartsister know that we have received their letter, card, whatever and to thank them and I have done that but wanted to write about it here too. 


This morning, among other thigs, there was a small booklet on Wildflowers in the Southwest.  I have had a quick look through it and there are a couple that I recognise and it will be fun to take it on a bushwalk, picked from the bushwalking book she sent a while ago, and seeing what we can find.







The woman I send to lives in Queensland but I don't know if she is still a member of the forum as I haven't heard if she has received any of the things I have been sending over the last few months.  It's hard to know whether to keep sending or if she has left the forum and is no longer interested.   I put a return address on the things I send and nothing has been returned so I assume that she is getting them so will probably keep sending until the year is up.  What would you do?

I know some of you have been involved in this idea and I would be interested in what your thoughts on it are.  And what do you send or have recieved as I am always looking for nice but inexpensive ideas.  Thankyou.








6 comments:

  1. I love the heart sister idea, but it's a shame that your receiving sister doesn't respond even though she may no longer be a forum member, having your return address on the parcel, should prompt her into replying. Enjoy your lovely things and your friendship that you have established.

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  2. Hi Barb, that's my gorgeous heart sister above who just posted ...Hi Deb :)
    I love being part of the heart sister group..I definitely know the heat sister I send to sends to you as I saw the green mesh bags I made for her...When I started sending to Lea I said to her if I send you anything you don't like or wouldn't use please feel free to pass it on to some one else you think will, so I see she has. I just wonder how many of us keep things we are given because we feel we would upset some one, I'd rather they pass it on rather then keep it out of obligation, I think I'll do a blog post about receiving gift we don't like and wouldn't use. Initially I think we can all get a little upset but would we really want our family and friends to keep some thing they don't like, want or use...really...I think it's something we really could give a little thought. I don't want my loved ones to feel obligated to clutter up their house with unwanted stuff...
    Sherrie from Simpleliving :)

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  3. We call it a Secret Sister in the US. Well, there may be other names. We keep it a secret to whom we send.

    I would keep sending to the woman. She may cherish the thought but her life might be in such turmoil that she does not respond even though she means to write to you. It cannot hurt ot keep on doing what you are doing in hopes that she is receiving the items and really appreciates your efforts/

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  4. What a wonderful marvelous idea....wow that is just so special....hmm yes it does make it tricky....can you check to see if she is still a member of the forum? Maybe she is ill and unable to respond but someone is just keeping her mail for her or passing it along....maybe you could write something on the outside of the envelope asking if all is okay and if someone else is collecting her mail they might respond to it with your address being on the envelope

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  5. I have asked the *powers that be* on the SS site but they say they cannot tell me if she is still a member, privacy reasons they say.
    I will keep sending because, well, why not. lol.
    I sent a card a couple of weeks ago asking her if she was still a member and how she was. Next time I might enclose an addressed envelope so she can respond if she wants to. A message on the back of the envelope to her is a good idea too.

    Linda, it started off secret but some have worked out who their HS is by reading different posts on the forum.

    Barb.

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  6. Barb,
    I never did figure out who my secret sister was in the church group. However, that was 20 years ago and none of them even had a computer like I did, plus they were older and not likely to use one even if we had an online group. Some other women did figure out who was their secret sister.

    You never know what this woman's situation is. You may be the only contact she ever has if she is in an abusive relationship. She may be too distraught over a life event to connect. I think the addressed and STAMPED envelope is a good idea. I have seen the day I could not afford a stamp or could not find the ones I owned.

    As a last resort, you could look up her number and try to call her.
    Linda

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