It only takes 1+ lines

How much time do we spend writing "for the masses" to post on social media vs crafting personal messages for smaller groups or individuals?

Last week, farmer Paul Spence approached me with the idea of doing a little giveaway in celebration of the Heritage Grain Weekend. Most people would have done it through social platforms, but I decided to send an email and ask for you to share a short grain-related story with me. In my mind, only a handful of replies would have been enough. I know everyone is busy and taking the time to write an email "just for fun" sounded like a big ask.

Without knowing what to expect, something great happened. I didn't just receive a handful of stories; I received more than that! Some of the stories included diet changes for health improvements, breakfast routines, moma+baby pictures, weight loss success stories, cooking tips, life-changing workshop lessons, stormy night snacks and movies, family recipes, farm trips, corn trails, special memories of family gatherings, and more. THANK YOU! To all of you who took the time to share a story with this stranger! :)

Some of you must be thinking that it happened because there was a giveaway involved, but the last few emails I sent also came with thought exchanges! It does make a HUGE difference to know that someone is reading on the other side!

A thousand likes on Facebook wouldn't have made me as happy, but each of these individual emails did bring a smile to my face. Less is more! It only takes 1+ lines to brighten somebody's day. This time it was my day. Hopefully, tomorrow you would receive a short “just-because-email” that would make you smile in the middle of your work-day.

A simple "thinking of you" message or a quote to help you get through a stressful day. It's all in the little details, not everything has to be about work and hyper-productivity. Above it all, we're humans, we must be there for one another and share stories with each other. Let’s continue this thread of thoughtful emails!