| THE EPISTOLARIAN |

Yesterday, the birdbath and hot air balloon penny was released, and many of you have written to say it is your favorite. I love this penny, and I love this moment, for all that it represents, especially for those of us who are asking what it truly means to live a meaningful life.

When most people imagine their dream life, they picture what they will gain: the house, the car, the travels. My vision feels different. As an artist, I dream of release. I dream of loosening the ballast. I dream of letting go.

I am letting go of the hours at a computer that leave my shoulders stiff and my mind scattered.
I am letting go of the fearful compulsion to prove my goodness to strangers online.
I am letting go of the calendar so tightly packed it erases days before they've even begun.
I am letting go of the survivor’s guilt that makes me hesitate to be happy, as if joy must be rationed in a world where so many are hurting.

In their place, I make space. Space for stillness, for the way light shifts and dances across a wall, for rest that doesn’t have to be earned, for afternoons spent laughing on the floor with my children. Space for the seals that shape my days, and for the novel I call ours, because when it finally arrives, I hope we will love it together until the spine is cracked and the pages are worn soft, like a favorite shirt pulled from the wash a hundred times.

This is the spirit of the new penny. The hot air balloon is not about building castles or piling on possessions, but about loosening the ballast. It asks what we can set aside, what weight can be released, so that we might rise lightly into new horizons. From that altitude, the world looks different, more open, more possible.

On the reverse side, a birdbath holds two companions. A thrush stands upright, carrying its long history as a symbol of peace and hope. Beside it, closer to the water, is a sparrow, humble yet resilient, known for its adaptability and joy. Together, they create a composition of harmony and love, a reminder that freedom is not only lightness but also companionship, community, and care.

Each penny arrives with a meditation and a ritual. In the meantime, I offer you these prompts for letters:

1. A RELEASE LETTER - A ritual-style letter where each paragraph names one thing you are letting go of (perfectionism, control, comparison, etc.). With each release, describe the lightness that takes its place, like a balloon rising or a bird soaring.
2. A REST LETTER TO A FRIEND - Share openly with a friend why rest is your dream life’s true luxury. What restful things might you do. Tell them what you’ve learned about building space, and encourage them to consider what they might set down too. Rest is radical.
3. A LETTER TO YOUR TO DO LIST - Personify your calendar/to-do list and tell it what you’re taking off its pages: unnecessary meetings, obligations, “shoulds.” Close by giving it a new job: to hold space for art, rest, and play. How can you schedule the most important things first?

The hot air balloon penny is, at heart, an invitation to envision life not through acquisition but through release. It is a reminder that the freedom we crave is often waiting, lighter than we think, once we dare to let go.

Can you do this?

I invite you this week to choose one thing that feels both luxurious and like letting go. It might be reading a book, writing a letter, receiving a massage, or simply sitting in your garden with a cup of tea. Whatever brings you a sense of spaciousness and healing. Set aside an hour, mark it on your calendar, and give yourself the gift of enjoying it fully.

Hydrangea is Here!

The newest seal in the floriography series debuts today: the hydrangea.

This design is among the most detailed I have created, with each petal carefully etched so that the fullness of the bloom can be felt in wax. Hydrangeas have long carried layered meanings. In the Victorian language of flowers, they were given as tokens of heartfelt emotion, both gratitude and apology. Their round, abundant blossoms symbolize unity, harmony, and the many facets of love. In Japan, hydrangeas are linked to grace and understanding, often gifted as a gesture of apology or deepening affection. Their color shifts with the soil, from blue to pink to violet, reminding us that beauty is not fixed but responsive, changing with what surrounds and nourishes us.

To me, the hydrangea speaks of gratitude. A gratitude so abundant it spills over, too much for one word or one bloom to contain. This new seal captures that sentiment: generous, intricate, and filled with meaning.

Wax Seal Guild

Over the past year, LaRetta Madsen, Betsy Goodman, and I have been dreaming of ways to build more community in the world of wax seals. Out of that came the informal Wax Seal Guild with two simple practices:

• Sealing Sundays: take a little time each Sunday for sealing and share with #SealingSundays.
• Monthly Themes: one word, one seal.

This month’s theme is enJOY. I’ll admit I haven’t done much myself yet with so much travel this month, but there is still time. If you feel inspired, make one seal around joy and share it with #WaxSealGuild and #enJOYaugust.

It’s completely free and open. Whether you are just beginning or crafting intricate talismans, there is space for you here.

With Love,

Kathryn