My daughters second grade teacher is determined to bring up the level of her students writing skills. One of the ways she encourages them to write is by placing a mailbox in the corner of the classroom and having the students write letters to their friends. They drop it into the mailbox and have a designated student act as the mailman and distribute the mail to the assigned girls.
Being a soft spoken, pleasant child with a sweet personality my daughter is easily likable and not surprisingly the recipient of quite a few letters. She loves reading them aloud and it certainly entertains me as I listen. They are comprised of basic words written with innocence and include simple statements like the ones below.
-I love you so much.
-I really like being your friend.
-I want to be your best friend.
-I like spending time with you.
The notes, written with so much purity, show their vulnerability. They feel it, they write it and they share it. How sweet is it that they can let you know what they want and hint on where they want the relationship to go without obscuring their feelings due to insecurities and masked emotions. How beautiful it is to see these truths on paper. How special it feels to receive such notes.
It got me thinking, how many times do we as adults think kindly of someone and hold back sharing it with the person due to our own self consciousness. How often do we neglect letting people know how much they matter for fear of appearing to be too vulnerable. Isn't it sad that a lifetime can pass without people showing true appreciation and love by hiding our emotions for fear of being judged?
We all have people we admire, friends we haven't spoken to in a while but think of constantly, children we are proud of and parents and spouses we are thankful for. Why not let them know. The biggest risk is that the world will become a nicer place and that's definitely something worth risking.
I'm committing to allow myself to be vulnerable and sharing more, what about you? Let me know what you think.
Blima
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