Today’s Story Seeds are all about letters. Letter writing is something of a dying art in today’s world of rapid-fire emails, Facebook posts, texting, and Twitter updates. When’s the last time you sat down and composed a thoughtful letter to someone? Choose one of the ideas below and take the time to write something heartfelt, personal, and relevant to the receiver.
Letter of Comfort
This past week has borne its share of tragedies. First there was the bombing of the Boston Marathon (April 15, 2013), then there was the explosion of the fertilizer plant in West, TX (April 17 2013). Unfortunately, we live in a world where tragedies strike daily. They don’t have to be public tragedies like terrorist attacks or fatal accidents, they can be personal and private as well.
Perhaps you know someone suffering through a tragedy right now—a friend grieving over the death of a loved one, a family member dealing with terminal illness, a neighbor who’s lost their job and in danger of losing everything else as a result, a co-worker who’s spouse just walked out on them. It could be you don’t personally know anyone suffering, so perhaps you could write a letter to a stranger you read or heard about in the news.
Write them a letter of encouragement. Let them know you’re praying for them, or that you’d like to reach out and help them in some tangible way. Be careful to not fill your letter with trite platitudes, but rather words of substance. Whatever you write, make it true and heartfelt. Only say things you believe are true, not things you wish to be true.
Above all, if you choose to write a real letter and send it to someone, be sure to follow through with any offers or promises you make. This letter can be far more than a writing exercise, it can be an opportunity to care for another person in a real and dramatic way.
Letter to Your Teenage Self or Future Self
Your current age will determine which type of letter you choose to write.
If you’re an adult, write a letter to your teenage self. Imagine what you’d tell yourself if you could go back in time and give yourself advice. What warnings would you issue? What words of encouragement? What do you think you could say that would have made your younger self make better choices?
If you’re a teen now, write a letter to your future self. Tell the future you to not give up on the dreams and plans you have now. Tell them to make sure they live their lives and not get so caught up in their job or the little struggles that distract them from living out those dreams and plans. What words could you say that the future, mature you would listen to and heed?
First Letter to New Pen Pal
Back in the days when humans communicated through hand-written letters on a regular basis, it was fairly common for a young person to have a pen pal or two. What are pen pals? Pen pals are simply two people who write one another on a regular basis. Sometimes these pals are complete strangers at the beginning of the relationship. Pen pals were sometimes arranged through elementary school classrooms to help students learn about foreign cultures. Some pen pals were known to go on to become life-long friends, some later met face to face, and some even got married.
Your challenge here is to write a first letter to a new pen pal. It needn’t be long, only a page or two, but it should include some basic information about yourself. Make sure to include who you are, where you live, what you do for a living or what you study in school. Talk about your family. Include information about things you enjoy, what your daily life is like, and what’s important to you as a person.
But don’t stop there. The real key to a great pen pal relationship is to ask questions—to show interest in the other person and not make every letter all about you. All the stuff you shared about yourself, ask those things of your new pen pal. Who are they? Where do they live? What’s their daily life like? What’s important to them?
Interested in finding a real pen pal? Search for “Find a Pen Pal,” and you’ll find numerous sites that help pen pals connect with one another. As always, be careful and prudent. Don’t give out personal information that needs to stay private. If you’re not an adult, make sure you get your parents’ approval and involvement before starting a pen pal relationship with a stranger.
