A Kindred Spirit Mailbox was installed at Fort Ward Park May 16 in a collaborative effort between resident Denise Stoughton and the Bainbridge Island Metro Park & Recreation District.

Stoughton, who is working on a book titled “Meet Me at the Mailbox: The Fabulous Mailboxes of Bainbridge Island,” has brought the heartwarming legacy of the original Bird Island Kindred Spirit Mailbox of North Carolina to BI.

The mailbox at Fort Ward is stocked with blank journals and pens to encourage visitors to write what’s in their hearts and minds to release burdens, dreams, gratitude and joy into the realm of kindred spirits. “Writing is an act of hope,” said Stoughton, who was moved to tears when she visited the original Kindred Spirit on the East Coast earlier this year.

Stoughton presented the idea at a park district meeting last fall, and it was quickly approved.

Parks Commissioner Dawn Janow said of Stoughton: “I could feel her passion and joy around this project. As I’ve learned more, it’s a project of love, connection and the environment.”

Stoughton enlisted the help of metal artist Dick Strom to build a tree-of-life mailbox structure. He had two old galvanized mailboxes and suggested a lower mailbox for kids, too. Rachel Knudson of Scrappy Art Lab helped paint the Kindred Kids mailbox, along with 9-year-old Frannie Fuhrman.

BI City Councilmember Clarence Moriwaki said on Facebook of the Fort Ward mailbox: “You arrive at an idyllic spot in the forest where everyone is welcome to rest, take a seat on handmade log benches, and contemplate the view of Rich Passage through tall conifers. If inspired, you may add to the journal in the mailbox, or simply read the thoughts and wishes of previous visitors.”

The first journal in the mailbox had but gentle instructions from Stoughton. Quoting William Wordsworth she wrote, “fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.”