Really. Why should anyone care? Why, in this blazing age of all things digital, should anyone bother?
Sure, a few are natural born writers. Like walking Hallmark cards, words of encouragement and affirmation seem to pour forth effortlessly from their lips and pens. (Yes, they are nice to have as friends but easy to “hate.”) But for most of us, words don’t flow like that.
If you’re part of the silent majority, here are 10 reasons NOT to write a letter to someone whom you love:
- Surely they know how you feel. You’ve said: “I love you.” Who needs more than that?
- You’re confident that you will be the one to defy all odds and live forever. And if you’re still around to show or express your love, why bother putting anything in writing?
- People that love you need to understand that you’re just not a writer. Some are and they can write the letters. You’re not.
- You’re so busy. You just finished watching every game of March Madness and now it’s time for tennis, gardening and baseball season. Who has time for letter writing?
- Expressing your feelings makes you uncomfortable. It’s awkward.
- Because you can’t do this perfectly, you’ve given up. Maybe you’ve even started a few letters, but it’s just too hard to finish.
- No one has ever written you a letter like this. So why should you be expected to do it for those you love?
- You do send text messages. Isn’t that enough? It’s 2016. Letters are so passé.
- You don’t know how someone will respond. Maybe they won’t even say anything about your letter. Or maybe they still won’t behave the way you want. So why should you make yourself vulnerable and write a letter?
10. You don’t know where to start.
Do those rationalizations help? I hope not.
Actually, I hope they’ll give you a little tongue-in-cheek perspective of how lame our excuses can sound.
Life is short.
People do matter.
We’re not promised tomorrow.
Those we love need to be told the things about them that are so unique and special.
It’s a privilege to pour words of love and encouragement into others.
You don’t have to be a wordsmith. Perfection doesn’t matter. Completion matters.
Today is a perfect day to start writing a letter to someone you love.
And if you need some help…it would be my pleasure.