At the beginning of the year, I sat down and wrote out some goals. Some had to do with my marriage and my family. Others were personal goals like complete a marathon, take more pictures of my family, read a certain number of books, etc.
It might sound silly, but I also set some friendship goals. I felt strongly that I needed to cultivate deeper bonds with the people in my life and also be more intentional about encouraging those around me. A huge part of that goal has been letter writing.
I set out to write one letter a week. I asked among my friends on Facebook who would like to receive a letter and I made a list. I’ve slowly been working my way down it. There are weeks when I get behind, but overall I’m thankful I’ve been able to remain consistent.
This goal of handwriting letters to people has blessed me immensely.
Some of the letters I’ve written are just plain silly. Others are filled with ordinary day-to-day details. I’ve written many where my heart bled out onto the paper and my soul felt cleansed. I’ve confessed things, I’ve opened up about other things, and I’ve asked for advice. I’ve been able to tell others how they impacted my life and the lives of others – to encourage them to continue to fight the good fight.
Walking out to the mailbox, reaching in and drawing out a letter addressed to me makes me happy. Watching this stack of letters grow as the weeks pass makes me happy. Realizing I’m surrounded by so many amazing people and I have the opportunity to get to know each of them a little better makes me happy.
What about you? When’s the last time you received a handwritten letter in the mail? When’s the last time you wrote one?
