I love a great story and as a blogger I fancy myself as somewhat of a story teller. It kind of explains my recent obsession to listening to podcasts that are basically just little stories.
I read a story in the amazing “Our State” Magazine a couple of years ago and declared out loud “I am going to go visit this place.”. If you have never read an article in this publication you should. Their gifted writers make readers want to visit every single place that is highlighted between the pages of their colorful publication. I have saved years worth of copies and refer back to them all of the time and have even placed some in my Little Free Library for others to enjoy. It is truly an amazing magazine. Even if you are not a North Carolina resident this is a magazine worth checking out.
The article that I read back in June 2015 was one that featured a mailbox. Yes, a mailbox. This mailbox is located on a beach and has attracted over 100,000 visitors over the years since Frank Nesmith put “her” up. Frank refers to the Kindred Spirit mailbox as a her because that is how he pictures it in his mind. The mailbox is a community mailbox that holds and keeps some journals, pens, and a multitude of thoughts and dreams that those who stop by share with her. If you want to read the article that inspired me you can click here to read “Kindred Spirit Mailbox Serves as Symbol of Hope on Bird Island.” It is definitely worth your time.
But what prompted this blog post today is that while I did not make it to the original Kindred Spirit mailbox I did indeed find a mailbox on the beach. Not just one mailbox but three. All located outside our small rental condo at The Shell Island Resort at Wrightsville Beach.
I looked online and found a story about one of them but it does not explain the other two that are there. One seems to be in better shape than the other and from what I could find online the mailboxes are now maintained by student ambassadors from UNC Wilmington.
All of the mailboxes were jam packed full of notes.
This one had a fun calendar type notebook in it that was pretty filled up.
The story about the Wrightsville Beach mailbox (click here to read the story) is that it was started in 2003 by Bernie and Sidney Nykanen who loved this spot on the beach. They placed the simple mailbox with the signage “Leave a Note” on the side, red flag up and watched as the notebooks got filled. After 11 years they turned the over 200 notebooks over to the Wrightsville Beach Museum of History where visitors can read all of the thousands of entries.
I loved the shell cross that someone attached to the mailbox post.
I had to read some of the entries that I found in the mailboxes. Who wouldn’t ?
What a wonderful and unusual thing to stumble upon on a sunny North Carolina day. I loved it and witnessed several folks leaving notes inside. They are jam packed and hopefully one of those student ambassadors will be by soon to collect the dreams, wishes and thoughts and allow others to continue to place theirs in the mailboxes by the sea.
If you wondered if I left a note I did. Not anything deep or emotional. Just sweet and simple.
Someday. Someday. When I own a beach home I might just put up a mailbox for dreams and wishes and prayers. Right next to the Little Free Library.
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19 Comments
Leave a commentWhat an interesting idea and cool place to share. I can see you having one someday.
I know! I will have a whole line up of things outside my “house” , won’t I? As long as I don’t have an HOA…..
What a fun idea. And I smiled at you wondering if those notes would be picked up soon, did you tidy the other box? And leave a new notebook to replace the almost full one? People so long for a connection with others…seems to me we could work with that common thread and solve some world problems. One mailbox at a time. I will take a look at the articles. I love a good story. 😀 (P.S. Did you tell Mr. Diamond to stop rolling his eyes…you don’t want a little mailbox!….yet. )
Mr. Diamond is STILL rolling his eyes. 🙂 It is a fun idea. I did not tidy up the boxes because it was so windy and the one did not even have a door on it. I was afraid of losing all of those papers and I felt like those “in charge” should do it. I hope that they get them cleaned out soon though.
What a cool idea! It is amazing how you manage to find all these unique things. I love the notes inside.
I love stuff like this. Makes me wonder about the people that leave notes and what their thoughts and wishes are.
I know! I could have camped out there to read the hundreds of messages but didn’t. 🙂
Cool story… one at a ‘sacred place’ in our forest would be an interesting piece of local color to offer. I nominate Pretty Place. Who would go ‘collect the mail?’
That is a GREAT Idea, Doug! Absolutely wonderful idea! Hmmm….my mind is working now!
This rates as one of my favorite stories ever that you have shared. The concept, the notes, the everything make this a great story. Thank you for the wonderful photos and the story. And, yes, if you blog (and you do), you are a storyteller.
it’s a very cool idea, isn’t it? I was tempted to clean these up a bit but since it was not “my job” I didn’t. The keeper of these mailboxes needs to visit and hopefully save all the little bits and pieces that have been left there. Thanks for your nice words today — it means a lot to me.
What a cool phenomenon! Never heard of this before, but if we ever make it, I’ll make sure to drop a note. Signs, signs everywhere are signs. Thank you Lord for caring about me I’m alive & feeling fine!
What a cool thing to find! So interesting to read the letters!
That magazine is pretty special.
There’s a little red mailbox on the beach at the Outer Banks. I think there’s just a journal inside, though, where folks can write messages.
I bet there is someone that keeps up with it. I just think it is another fun idea.
Oh my goodness, soooooo way cool! I’ve never heard of this so I found it very interesting and inspiring too. If I ever get back to any of the beaches in NC, I’ll be looking for these.
So fun, right? I love it!
How cool! Definitely up your alley! 🙂
Yep! It screams Beth Ann. 🙂