Receiving Disturbing Cards

[Circularspandex]

Name changed because it's outing.

DH and I have been together for twenty three years and have two teenage children.

Last year, about a week before mother's day, I received a mother's day card with my name written inside and then a heart. Nothing else. I didn't recognise the handwriting. It was posted from a city which is at the other end of the country (NE and I live in the SW). My street name was misspelled on the envelope.

I was freaked out by it, but ignored it after a while.

We've been away this weekend, but have just found another one in our letterbox. Similar To My Mother card, with my name and heart. Written in the same green pen, it seems.

This time there's no address, stamp or postmark on it, which is really worrying. It just has my name on her front. Unfortunately our Ring doorbell has run out of battery and we haven't charged it.

Do you think I should contact the police? DH thinks I should, but I don't want them to think I'm wasting their time.

I definitely do not have any other children.

The mistaken identity thing makes the most sense. It's focused around Mother's Day, so maybe someone thinks you're their mother.

Have you ever done an Ancestry or other similar test, OP? Maybe someone has an adopted child in your family tree and you've matched, but they've barked up the wrong tree about who the mother is?

Alternatively, I'd say it's a prank someone finds funny and they have no idea how unnerving and unfunny it is for the person at the other end.

It’s always been linked to poison pen letters in the past. Malicious people would write in green ink.

Was your husband away when the first one was posted?The recent one could have been left in the house by him-could he have suggested contacting the neighbours because he knew no one would have seen him do this?

What motivation could he have though? Unless he's unhinged.

I don't know, but its worth thinking back to see if he was in the North East, or near it, last year.

We have green pens for marking, we have a teacher in the house? Any links there?

I don't understand how it could be an affair?

Or a threat to your kids? It is worrying though. I hope it became clear. Who knew you would be away that weekend? Did you post it on social media? Did neighbours know?

And who do you know anyone who has links to the area of the country the first one was posted from? Maybe someone you know was on holiday in that area at the same time?

DH and DC hadn't left the local area when last year's was posted. I'm absolutely certain that it isn't them.

I have searched for my name and I can see one other online, but she lives in the US and is a very young adult, so unlikely to be a mother to someone old enough to write and post a card.

I did 23 and Me DNA testing years ago. Hasn't thrown up much.

Have a look at 192.com to see if anyone with same or similar name in your area. You may even want to hire a private investigator to check the local electoral records for similar name. It's a simple task - they won't charge too much.

Oh no, I didn't know that meaning! Good to know bow!
OP do you know someone who could be disgruntled with you? Or someone who could be jealous of you?
Any chance its one of the neighbours?
I think you will have to wait out and see if mysterious card happens again.

Ps I doubt police will do a thing at this point

Green pen used to be an acknowledged indicator of a weirdo. Or these days, a teacher.

My thoughts might be totally wrong here and be skewed by my own weird experience..

Have you had any interactions with a health care professional in the last couple of years or a teacher - who may have taken a shine to you? I’m asking that specifically because (my daughter has a lot of medical appointments) they almost always refer to mothers as “mum” rather than a name. Can’t say teachers do but if they weren’t seeing you in other contexts they might want to refer to HOW they know you (as a parent).

Try this - ask yourself without analysing- who is the first SPECIFIC person you think would do this? One of your neighbours ? Postman? Doctor?
Let it come freely. If literally nothing comes to mind - no weird interactions or remarks or incidents it most likely is something like other posters have suggested.

Is red not the marking colour anymore?

Nobody knew we'd be away apart from a neighbour who fed the cat. She's elderly any lovely - definitely not the card sender. She seemed worried when I asked her if she'd seen anyone deliver anything.

DH and I aren't teachers, but obviously the DC are at school. There's no reason to think that a teacher would have it in for me!

Try to think of anything unusual in the last few years. Someone is messing with your head.

Green ink used to mean poison pen.

Also sending from the ne doesn’t determine senders locality or address. They could live in the same street as you for example. This time how would they know ring doesn’t work and you are away? Due to those things someone close? pet sitter, baby sitter, cleaner neighbour and so on.

also I would contact the police just incase something similar has happened in your area to other people.

I haven't had any particularly unusual interactions with anyone that I can think of. Hardly seen any healthcare professionals and very brief parents' meeting appointments with teachers. Nothing of note.

I have no connections to the NE of England at all. I've been to Durham with work once, but that was sixteen ago and only met with colleagues who I already knew. The card was sent from a different place - a coastal area.

Sorry to sound concerned on your behalf. I received a death threat this week last year so I’m a bit freaked out incase it happens again this year ☹️ police were involved.

Oh god! Did they get the perpetrator? I hope you're ok!

If this recent letter was hand delivered through the door then the person who posted it must have done so despite seeing that you have a ring doorbell. They couldn't have known that it wasn't charged up.

Either they didn't care that you could see them.
Or they knew it wasn't charged.
Or they were someone in your house who put it on the doormat as though it had come through the letter box.
Or it was delivered with some other piece of post....like a parish magazine or local advertising thing.

I think the NE is a red herring.

Anyone can post a card from anywhere doesn’t mean it’s not someone living in your street? Any lorry drivers you know or people who travel for work, conferences that assort of thing.

My oh for example did 400 miles each way last week as far up as Scotland. So if it was someone like him he’d have a myriad of postboxes to use en route, just stop somewhere you’ve never heard of Post it and continue on.

We have a post box next to the door, which I habitually check (there's a little window in it) when I'm coming or going. It was definitely empty on Saturday morning and it was the only item in it when we came home today.

The neighbour had gone in this morning to feed the cat, and saw nobody delivering it. The neighbour is definitely not the sender.

Is your own mum still alive OP? The way both cards were written with the same pen makes
me wonder if a few were written at once. Could your mum have written you Mother’s Day cards to be delivered every year, if she has passed? If they were sealed then whoever posted them wouldn’t know they weren’t signed inside or that you’d worry.

Sadly, my mum died nine years ago.

Sorry :(

Writing letters like this would not be something that she would do. Not the sort of idea that she'd have any not her handwriting.

I could be wrong, but I think the writer is male. Quite an old-fashioned, cursive handwriting.