Day 5

You know those friends that will always be your friend? No matter how long it has been since you last saw them, when you finally do get to see each other, it is like no time has passed. Usually a lot of silliness entails. All of the same inside jokes are funny, and you still nearly pee your pants laughing together. You can still tell when they are happy or sad by the tone of their voice, or the tone of a text message. It's just easy. I'm lucky to have a bunch of those friends. And my letter today goes to one of them. Sara has been an amazing friend to me over the past few years, and when you have those amazing friends, the least you can do is write them a letter saying thank you!

Days 3 and 4

Whoops! I forgot to post yesterday, but don't worry, I did write a letter. I have a valid excuse--I was up late watching Michigan win the Sugar Bowl! GO BLUE!

Yesterday's letter went to my Grandma and Grandpa B and today's letter is going to my brother and sister-in-law. Both thank you letters for lovely Christmas gifts. As I said yesterday, I am always spoiled by my family, and it is nice to be able to write a letter of thanks!

Day 2

Letter one was a success! One day down, 365 to go (2012 is a leap year, remember?)!!!

The nice thing about starting this project right after Christmas is that I have a lot of thank you cards to write. Although I didn't really NEED anything for Christmas, my family is wonderful and generous, so I better start writing!

My letter today is to my Grandma Max. Man, she's a cool lady. Last year at Christmas, she beat me at Wii Bowling...three times. And she makes delicious Pepparkakor (Swedish Ginger) cookies. And she raised my momma (see Day 1). Even though we are all grown up, she loves having gifts under the tree for each of her eleven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren (with two on the way in 2012!). She's always thoughtful with her gifts. This year, I got something truly special. As the only grandchild that speaks (kind of) German, she gave me her mother's Lutheran catechism in German. My great-Grandmother got the book in 1905 (more than a hundred years ago!!) when she was confirmed. While my German-language ability has declined all too rapidly since I got back from Germany, it was really special to flip through the book to find familiar passages and verses. The rest of my presents this year from Grandma Max were cool too, but my great-Grandma's catechism is something I will cherish forever, and hopefully pass on to my son or daughter to cherish it as well. So Grandma Max's thank-you note will be my second letter of the year! And with that, Ich wünsche dir eine gute Nacht und süsse Traüme!

My 'A Letter a Day' Project

Welp, 2012 is here. Or 2KTWE as my friend Sam and I affectionally call it. While I'm not a huge fan of NYE celebrations (probably because I find it a challenge to stay up past 10:30pm), I do find it important to look back on the year that is ending and reflect on how the next year can be better. Whether it is something in your life that needs correcting, or something that you want to start doing, New Year's Resolutions can be a valuable way to focus on what should and can be changed in your life.

In 2011, I found myself in a situation where I was writing letters rather frequently. And yes, I mean letters--the good ol' fashioned pen on paper, stick it in an envelope, put a stamp on it kind of letter. While at some points it was annoying to write something on paper, rather than typing, it was also refreshing to write this way. In order to avoid nasty scribbled out sections, you have to really think about what you want to say. In a world of emails and texts, words can be typed, re-typed, manipulated, erased, and reworked until they are perfect, and slightly unnatural. Or, in contrast, we send emails and texts in a hurry, with that little blurb on the end of emails asking the reader to forgive our typos as it was sent from our iPhone or Blackberry. In the world of writing letters, one must really think about what they are trying to communicate before actually communicating it. This skill, which is still important in verbal communication, seems to be dying. Just as people are asked to excuse our typos in emails sent from smart phones, we also expect people to brush off the harsh words that often come out of our mouths. Just as that stupid drunken text can be sent in a split second, in that same split second the words that come directly out of ones mouth can do an insane amount of damage. As someone who will become a "for realsie" lawyer in 2012, thinking before I speak is an invaluable tool for my professional career as well. Unconsidered words can get a good lawyer into a lot of trouble. The thought process involved in writing letters is an important skill to develop. Letters force us to pause. Think. Then write. Write what you mean, write what you believe.

Beyond the ability of letters to help us learn how to communicate effectively and compassionately, letters also are a means of fostering a different level of communication with the recipient. The process of writing a letter--picking out stationary or a card, writing the note, finding the address, buying a stamp, dropping the letter in the mailbox--is just that...a process. Compared to typing a note and pressing send on your gmail account, writing and sending a letter is labor intensive. A labor that illustrates to the recipient that you care. That you want to take the time from your day to write that letter. That your relationship with that person is special. Often, you can say things in letters that might not be as easy to say in real life, face to face. Letters say more than just their content. In a world where the typical mailbox loot is bills and catalogues (or, if you are a public interest law student, rejection letters from potential employers), finding a letter can brighten a day.

For these reasons, my goal for 2012 is to write a letter a day and then blog about it. Since I'm realistic (and a poor, busy law student), I know that I won't do this every day. But I'm going to make a serious effort to take time out of most days to write a letter to a friend, a relative, a neighbor, a mentor, whoever. Whether it is a greeting card, a quick note, a long heartfelt thank you, or (gasp!) a love letter, I hope to rekindle the joy of writing letters for me, and the joy of receiving letters for my recipients. While a letter a day for the next 365 days may seem like a lofty goal, I think that is what New Years Resolutions are supposed to be--ambitious, next to impossible, and maybe a little silly. If all else fails, at least maybe my penmanship will improve a bit :)

For my inaugural letter, I will be writing a letter to the most amazing woman I know. My momma. She has modeled for me what it means to be a loving mother, a dedicated wife, a passionate educator, and a beautiful person. While we went through the typical mother-daughter tension during my high school years (I was sassy), I now count her as one of my very best friends. I'll be telling her that in my first letter--a worthy first letter for my A Letter a Day Project.