Lovely Letters

I ABSOLUTELY swoon over written letters, notes, and cards! I LOVE to send them, and I love to receive them! There's something so fun about walking to the mailbox and finding something special meant just for me... that's not a bill or a sales ad ;-)

Where it started...

My first foray into letters and cards began when I was about 10 or 12. One of my aunts lives up north and my family had planned to to travel for a visit. We would be attending church with her while I was in town, and she wanted to make sure I felt welcomed. Before our trip, she spoke with one of the girls around my age that she thought I might like. Her name was Kathryn. During my trip, Kathryn and I hit it off. We had a lot of similar interests, and enjoyed spending time together. From that point on, the highlight of my trips up north was seeing and spending time her. We would play together, and as we got older, we would have sleepovers when I came to town. Some of my favorite memories are riding bikes through her town, swimming at the pool, the sleepovers, and of course writing letters.

My family only got to travel a handful of times per year, so Kathryn and I began writing letters to each other. I LOVED getting letters in the mail from her and seeing what her family was up to, how school was going for her, adventures, first loves, and annoying little brothers. (wink, wink). We continued exchanging letters for over 10 years. Along came the internet, and once we got into college, marriages, and motherhood the letters began to slow down. Though the emails and social media are great tools, it's just not the same! While the letters have become less frequent, it still stirs my heart when they are exchanged.

Come to think of it, we really need to catch up. Kathryn, if you're reading this - there will be a letter in your mailbox soon.

Letters from Home

When my cousin Brandon went to boot-camp, one of the highlights was exchanging letters with him and hearing about the training he was doing. We are a military family, if you didn't already know that about us. My oldest brother served several tours in the middle east about 15 years ago, and my cousin just recently returned from a depoloyment. I have also had several other uncles and cousins that have served as well. When you can't always know exactly where they are stationed, it is a relief to be able to exchange letters... to encourage them, to update them about what's going on at home, and to hear about their travels and work. Being in the military is an incredibly tedious job, and it encourages our service men and women to hear from us!

If you don't know someone in the military but still want to encourage a soldier, I would encourage you to ask those around you if they know a soldier! I bet your friends, coworkers, or someone from church might know someone. If they don't, usually they can point you to someone that does. Don't forget, you can always partner with organizations like America's Adopt a Soldier, Soldiers Angels or Operation Gratitude!

Just a Few Words Go A Long Way!

While some tend to thing letters are outdated, I am not of that belief... If it was, there wouldn't be such large aisles at Target, Wal-Mart, and the grocery stores with an ever-changing stock of cards!

I know quite a few people that still enjoy writing a note to others. A sweet lady in my church loves to write letters and notes. Every month or two, I receive a sweet note or card from her, and it brings me such joy. Another dear friend of mine randomly drops a card in the mail every few months to encourage me as a woman, wife, and mother. Just about the time I think I can't do it another day, her sweet notes remind me that my job as a wife and mom is so incredibly important and encourages me as I take on another day. Another friend reaches out every few months just to check in. No matter who the card is from, we all love to "hear" kind words.

You may not know it but your words are powerful and they can change someone's life. I can look back over the years and see how those dear souls' words helped to encourage and molded me into the woman I am today. There were times when I have struggled and then a word of encouragement comes in the mail at just the right time. There have been other times when I have achieved a goal and received a note of congratulations. Whatever the case was, just knowing that someone cared enough about me and took the 5 minutes or so to write a note made me feel encouraged. There might be someone in your life today that needs to hear that you care about them.

One of my favorite verses from the bible is Proverbs 16:24. "Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones." When I read that, I hear God saying that our words need to be kind because they encourage and give others strength.

Today I want to encourage you to strengthen someone else. Grab a piece of paper or a card and write out a quick note to someone! Who do you know that...

• you haven't spoken to in a while?

• has something to celebrate?

• is having a rough week?

• is someone you can encourage?

• you could say "I love you" to?

It takes five minutes or less to write 3-4 lines, and you could make a difference in someone's day! Besides, you never know - you might just get a note back!

In my next post, I'll be sharing some of my favorite places to find inexpensive stationery, and how I can keep it organized so I can quickly write a note!

Be encouraged,

Kimberly