Writing a much needed love letter
Hello caring and loving readers,
I’ve been asked by the lovely and compassionate Hannah Brencher to write a love letter to “Elizabeth” during the More Love Letters “12 Days Of Love Letter Writing.” Hannah and I met on one of our blogs several years ago and discovered that we cared about the plight of others. After college, she went to NYC to do an internship concerned with poverty.
There while riding the subway, she got an idea to write anonymous love letters. On her site Hannah says, “I was struggling to get out of bed every morning and I needed an escape from my own sadness and loneliness. So I began writing letters on the train to individuals who seemed like they, too, could use a boost. And it healed me. It really healed me.”
A simple, loving gesture to make the lives of others better. A welcome relief to the fighting and conflict we see all over the world. If only all of us could do what the Bell System ad suggested back in the 80’s, “reach out and touch someone.”
So, I’m going to do that on my blog today. I’ve written Elizabeth a letter, which I will mail later today to More Love Letters “heartquarters.”
Her close friend wrote, “Elizabeth was strong for a long while but has been shutting out all those who have been supporting her, loving her and trying to point her in the direction of God. Elizabeth is a highly creative individual who is multi-faceted and full of potential. She has been through the ringer and is resisting her true life callings.”
Here is the card with the funky peacock I selected to send Elizabeth. The quote spoke to me, “Have only one rule: Be your wild, courageous brilliant self every single day. No matter what.” I hope it will speak to Elizabeth as well.
We really are courageous. We just need to be encouraged to show our courage, to understand that we won’t offend others when we do, to know that we make the world a more welcoming place when let our wild, brilliance show.
I stared at the blank note card for about 30 seconds before I figured out what I wanted to say. Then it poured out of me like a teapot of chamomile tea steaming into a friendly mug. I could have used a letter or 11 like this back in my twenties, when the world seemed dark, pointless and unforgiving like Elizabeth’s. In my late twenties, a woman in one of my classes said to me, “It gets better once you cross into your thirties.” That little bit of encouragement gave me hope that my life would get better. And it did! Each decades seems to be better than the one that came before it. Folks diss aging, but I’ve found my life to be a lot like wine — it keeps getting better with age.
I’d forgotten what that older woman said to me until I started writing the note to Elizabeth. It feels good to reach out and touch someone else, someone who needs to hear uplifting words.
Lifting up someone else makes me feel lighter!
If you’d like to join Hannah’s love letter writing adventure, please sign up at More Love Letters. I believe that when we write love letters to others, we also write love letters to ourselves. The compassion we send to another bubbles up to our own surface where it gives us a hug.
Thx, G.
RSS
What a lovely idea!
I really resonated with “We just need to be encouraged” – that’s so true; all we need is a mirror, not a fix.
Heading over to check out More Love Letters – with gratitude to you, Giulietta <3
p.s. the card you picked is awesome!
Thank you for your nice comments Karen! I love what you said about “just needing a mirror.”
It’s hard to see what’s really looking back at us because of the way we’re taught not to see who we really are.
I had a lot of problems with mirrors. Will write about that. Thanks for being a muse!
G.
Hi Julie!
I’ve had the pleasure of featuring Hannah on my blog too and signed up for next Wednesday. It was fun to see your love note! I can’t wait to receive my assignment. I wonder who I will get and what I will say. I appreciated seeing how you went about it and was encouraged to hear how the words just came to you.
A
Hi Angie!
I read your great feature story about Hannah. She’s a gift to the world’s lonely and forgotten. Wonderful that you signed up. It feels good to do something for someone else, especially when that someone doesn’t know it’s coming! I look forward to reading your post next Wednesday. This is the true spirit of the Christmas season – to do something loving for someone else. It’s not about the gifts you buy, it’s about the love you send. Thanks for stopping in — always super to hear from you. Enjoy! G.
Whenever I start to think the internet is an annoying nuisance, I think about the amazing, joy-filled things I’ve encountered there and one of the things at the top of that list is you, dear Giulietta. I love this love letter idea and will definitely go to the site and check it out. And in the meantime, I just want to say here that you are one awesome woman. @squarepegkaren-“all we need is a mirror, not a fix” is so brilliant. Can’t wait to read Giulietta’s post on that one!
Love to all!
Hey Cathy,
Thank you for your lovely compliment. It’s been equally terrific to meet you and talk with you live on the tele. How else would I have known that a show with meaning like Enlightened existed on TV? I adore all my commenters here at the Muse. Caring, cool folks! Talk again in 2012 … G.
[…] Giulietta Nardone (our very favorite creativity activist), Kellie Elmore from Magic in the Backyard & Lisa from Lisa’s Yarns. You don’t want to miss this chance to write love letters beside them! […]
Thank you so much for coming by and introducing yourself. I replied to your lovely comment and decided to pop on over and return the favor. Your blog is beautiful by the way!
I am happy to be sharing in the 12 Days of Love Letters with you my friend!
Happy Holiday’s!
Kellie
@BackyardPonders
Hi Kelli,
Thank you for mentioning the blog’s beauty! Always fun to meet new people who care about other people. Was a comment fairy for about a year. Need to get back into that! Wishing all, especially Elizabeth, a neat holiday season. Appreciate your comment. G.
It’s nice to “meet” you – I love the card you selected for Elizabeth. And you are so right – things only get better as we age. I turned 30 in February and was sort of afraid of turning 30, but this has been one of my best years yet, and I think it will only continue to get better and better!
Hi Lisa!
I’m glad you like the card. It jumped out at me when I went looking for cards. Yes, it’s been my experience that I got more comfortable in my own skin as I got older. Nothing to fear! Thanks for visiting. G.
Giulietta, your words are so beautiful. I love your card. It’s so vibrant and bold. Your words are encouragement for me, even, knowing how you felt about your twenties and looking back now and having more hope for life and the world. I used to think teens were hard, but now my twenties don’t seem any easier. Such is life.
(and I love “I could have used a letter or 11 like this…” Sometimes, one is not enough).
Kaleigh
I’m glad you found your way over here Kaleigh. (Love the spelling of your name, btw. unique!)
The twenties tend to be tough because we’ve been told what to do most of our pre-twenties — something with which I do not agree or feel empowers the young — then we’re flung out into the world and folks say, “go be a success.”
Yet, we have almost nothing to go on but some canned ideas of success that involve making gobs of money or getting a fancy generic title. I’ve discovered that before you can be a success on your own terms, it’s important to reclaim your vibrant self. That can take us to some dark places we’re not sure we can find our ways out of.
I’m happy to be sharing the more love letter adventure with you! Take care and thank you for the comment. G.
> Be your wild, courageous, brilliant self every single day
Great choice. I really like when people bring their game to the table and show me what they’ve got. It’s always a wonderful thing to see people, really being who they really are, in a powerful, unbridled way.
Hi J.D.,
I know that you are a fellow quote connoisseur, so I’m thrilled that you liked the one I picked out for Elizabeth. Also like the word unbridled. It relates to the wildness. Will check out your leadership quotes. Thanks for joining us! G.
LOVE, love, love that card. If I could instill into the soul of every 16 year old girl one thing, that would be it: Have only one rule: Be your wild, courageous brilliant self every single day. No matter what.
This post was just what I needed today, G. Thank you! xo
Hi J,
I’m going to try and remember where I got that card and go back and get 6 more, including one for my own desk. Now that would be a neat project, to make sure every girl gets that card on her 16th birthday!
I didn’t stumble on the notion of inspiration until my early 30’s! Took a lot of catch-up to get where I am today. Another hmmm. What a neat class to teach in a high school inspiration and imagination. I will put one together and pitch it.
Get the best ideas from leaving comments and getting comments.
Appreciate your unexpected visit! G.
This was such a lovely read, Giulietta. I think that we can’t be reminded too often to let our authentic selves shine and show/share love as often as we can.
And yes, I completely agree about getting older. Things really do get better with age especially when we care less about what others think and more about being true to our authentic selves.
Hi Belinda,
Good to see you here again!
It really is liberating to care less about what folks think. Too many years spent locked in a self-made prison. And we had the key the entire time. Who knew?
thx, G.
Giulietta, how wonderful to find you writing a love letter too.
I also signed up to write a few and have been apprehensive about it, but have finally figured out how to express myself well enough to try and lift someone’s spirit, at least a little bit.
Thank you for writing this blog post, and I hope you inspired some of your readers to write a love letter as well 🙂
Hi Estrella,
I’m guessing we were all a tad apprehensive about writing the love letter. What do I say? Will it make things worse for the person? Then I thought, receiving letters of any kind is such a treat and the good hearts of those of us choosing to write the letters will direct us to write something heartfelt.
Thank you for writing a letter! Best wishes. G.