Kindred Spirit Mailbox

Hi shells! My last post was about the Arctic Blast that came through, and since I’m sure many of us are fighting the mid-winter blues, today let’s turn to warmer thoughts.

The shores of North Carolina have a lot to offer.  Wonderful beaches, fun water sports, interesting wildlife, dazzling sunsets, warm weather, and an intriguing mailbox. Yes, a mailbox that is intriguing. On Bird Island near Sunset Beach but off the beaten path about a mile and a half walk from anywhere, this lonely mailbox pops out of the dunes. The lettering on the outside of the box simply says Kindred Spirit. As its location and purpose have become more well-known, it has become a destination for visitors of the area.

Photo courtesy of IslandLifeNC.com

The peaceful walk along the shore may put you in a contemplative mood, readying you for what the mailbox provides. Open the box and you will find notebooks written in by many visitors.  Strangers share private reflections on their lives and their loves, successes and failures, hopes and dreams, and mainly what they are thankful for.   Many write in the notebooks left in the mailbox. Others bring their thoughts already written down to leave in the box. Visitors leave cards, photos, and items – from baby toys to old jewelry. Go ahead. Sit on the bench for a spell and read what others have written or contribute your own thoughts, stories, or poems.

Yes, please. I just convinced myself. I want to go. What a wonderful way to slow down in life and reflect on where you’ve been and where you’re going. It’s a place to relax, to think, to pray even. But how did it get there? No one knew until recently. The people responsible wanted to remain anonymous. They wanted it to be about kindred spirits sharing their innermost thoughts while being able to remain anonymous. Only after Claudia Sailor’s death in 2013 did the truth come out.

One weekend in the late 1970’s, Claudia decided to place the mailbox on the beach with a bench nearby. As she was struggling to put up the post, a stranger, Frank Nesmith, stopped to help by steadying it with a driftwood post. This chance meeting began a short romantic relationship between them. Although the relationship didn’t last, the mailbox has withstood the test of time.

While Claudia was still alive, they kept their identities a secret, even when they broke up and she married someone else. Frank became the guardian of the mailbox, picking up the contents and replacing the notebooks when necessary. Before her death, Claudia enlisted an area author Jacqueline “Jack” DeGroot to help out. Jack continued to keep the identities secret.  Advanced in years, Frank no longer treks to the mailbox. His helpers bring the contents to him. Jack and her friend Sandy continue to be the caretakers of Kindred Spirit. The completed journals are now preserved in a collection at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington’s Randall Library.

I first read about this mailbox in the novel Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks. Although his story is fictional, I learned that the mailbox really exists. The idea behind this mailbox touched me so I had to share it with you. What a great way for people to slow down and think about their lives and choices. What a great way  to help people move on after the loss of someone. What a great way to take time to be thankful.  What a great way to just be happy in the moment on the beach. Now that you know about the Kindred Spirit mailbox, I hope you’ll seek it out on your next vacation to the North Carolina beaches. I know I will.

In my research for this blog, I found many articles on the internet and even videos on YouTube about Kindred Spirit mailbox. I’ve linked to one of the videos here.  If you’re intrigued, just search Kindred Spirit mailbox on YouTube and enjoy watching some of the other clips. You can also click on the link here to go to an article by IslandLifeNC.com. Thank you to Kimberly at IslandLifeNC.com  who was gracious enough to give me permission to use their photo.