How you can make a difference

Live Healthy!Live Happy!

It’s not every day on Steve Wright in the Afternoon on BBC Radio 2 that we interview someone who actually makes me cry, not because I’m upset or offended, but simply because I’m so touched by their kindness.

Jodi Ann Bickley , pictured, is only 26 and has had a roller-coaster of a ride, despite being only 26. She was a successful performance poet playing prestigious gigs such as Glastonbury till a tick bite gave her a brain infection, which in turn led to a mini stroke – which in turn led to ME (chronic fatigue syndrome).

But Jodi’s ‘thing’ since childhood was always to write letters, (we’re not talking whizzing off an email or text – proper hand-written letters – remember those?). Most of us don’t get them very often, which is exactly why her project is SO powerful.

Due to her illness Jodi had ‘a lot of time on her hands.’ Importantly she makes the point that you can either waste time, or ‘make it count’. As someone who always loved getting letters (even bills!) she says: “In our worst moments, sometimes it only takes one person to make you feel like you belong – to remind you how incredible you are and I hope that’s what I and my one million lovely letters can do.”

She has been offering to write a letter to anyone who may need it since 2012 and has so far has sent over 1,000 letters. She gave a TEDX talk, and has just released her book One Million Lovely Letters about the project. Her dream is to conduct workshops with groups of people internationally to write lovely letters that will be put onto the very first “Walls of Arms” – walls of outstretched arms from all over the globe for a community who need it.

Jodi says: “These ideas are so big that they are almost scary and the quote ‘If your dreams don’t scare you they are not big enough’ certainly comes to mind.”

If you would like a letter from Jodi, email her at onemillionlovelyletters@gmail.com but please support her ‘stamp fund’. Incredulously she charges nothing for her endeavours, and perhaps offer her support for a way to take her project out from her front room into a wider world. Oh and if the idea resonates with you… dig out your writing pad (it’s at the back of the drawer right?) and send a letter to someone you care about – Go on, make their day. www.onemillionlovelyletters.com (Hodder and Stoughton)