Take Back Your Life!

Dear Reader,

Today is Day Five of the 12 Days of Love Letter Writing, a terrific holiday program started by the kind and caring Hannah Brencher. You can read about Hannah, the genesis of this program and listen to her Ted Talk at More Love Letters. These are not gushy love letters. They are letters of encouragement and support written with love.

Hannah asked me to write a love letter to Johnathan. His friend described Johnathan’s situation as follows:

“Johnathan celebrated sixth months sober just a few days ago. In his short two decades of life he’s seen parents divorce, a brother die, and numerous friends stunted by drug addiction. He was just recently promoted at work and is finally feeling better about his life and his self. His letter requester wrote, ‘I believe that I will not always be a part of his life, although we are both major supports for each other right now. I want for Johnathan to learn and always remember that no matter how many people he loses, there will always be more love to be found and that he will never have to be alone as long as he remembers never to stop searching for the light.'”

I’ve scanned in the card I selected to send Johnathan. Because I consider myself a greeting card to person matchmaker. I needed to find one that exuded an upbeat, anything is possible vibe in a beautiful uplifting way. I found the card of my dreams at a locally owned gift store in a nearby town, which made the purchase all the sweeter. The outside says “Believe.” The inside says, ” You are strong and resilient. I believe in you.”

Sometimes the easiest way out of a dark time is for another human to say, “I believe in you.” During my own dark and stormy twenties, one of my grad school professors sat me down and said, “You have to believe in yourself.” Before he said that, I’d not only never had anyone say that to me, but also had never heard it discussed before. I’ve never forgotten his words. For many, many years I kept whispering, “I have to believe in myself.”

I’m happy to report it worked! Maybe I need to track down that professor and send him a love letter?

How often do we give another person the gift of believing in them? People will race around from store to store looking for the perfect material gift, when a simple “I believe in you” might be the gift they really need. I’m going to go out on a limb here and proclaim that what most folks really want are words of encouragement, inspiration and love.

This is my second year as one of the 12 Days of Love Letter bloggers. Reaching out to Johnathan feels like the right thing to do during the holidays (or any time, really.) I’m doing something that matters to me, that I know will enrich Johnathan’s life as well as my own. I wrote him a note centered on self-belief. It flowed out of my pen and onto the card. The world not only needs more love letters it needs more companies and organizations like More Love Letters. Our new economic bottom line ought to be to do good in the world.

If you’d like to join me in this adventure of spreading the love, please write a love letter to Johnathan and mail it within one week of today to

“Johnathan’s bundle, PO Box 2061, North Haven, CT 06473”

Can you imagine his face when he receives all these love letters? I know I’d love to open my mailbox and find anything other than bills and shopping circulars.

To read the 12 days of love letter blog posts or learn more, please visit More Love Letters.

Lovingly yours, Giulietta

p.s. Since we are on the love train here, please check out my new January life shop in Hopkinton, Mass (start of the Boston Marathon.) Eat, Pray, Love Yourself More! (Click on the name and it will take you to the page.)

p.s.s. What do you do during the holidays that really matters to you? Please let me know in the comments, I’d love to hear it!