More love letters

"Incredible scenery on the road in Banff National Park" by Alaskan Dude

Last week we posted about the Love Letter Project, a project where you pen and post your own letter of encouragement to someone who is going through something you've gone through. Here's another love letter, from TWINE member Licia!

Reaching Your Goals

It's a long walk from here to there,
and the light is growing dim.
This road stretches on for endless miles,
and my patience is wearing thin.
He doesn't understand,
and I fear he never will.
If I can make it to the top,
it might just make him see.
The mountain so far off
is inviting, yet scary all the same.
Filled with my sadness,
my pain,
and my hope,
if I can get there they'll all believe.

All of us have been through something. It could be something major, like watching your parents go through a divorce, or having someone you love die. It could be something so personal no one around you even knows you're struggling with it, like depression or sexual orientation. Or it could be something as seemingly minor (yet weirdly challenging) as getting sick the weekend of prom, or being completely unable to parallel park. The point is, you've probably been through a challenge or two and come out stronger.

The Love Letter Project invites you to share your experience and help someone going through the same thing by writing a letter of encouragement - a love letter, if you will. Inspired by the Love Letter Project, TWINE penned a few love letters of our own and we'll be sharing ours here over the next few days, starting with "Dear Depressed Teenager," by Anonymous.

"Dear Depressed Teenager,

I know it's hard. Trust me, I get it. I went through probably exactly what you're going through. I know, I don't know you personally. But you are extraordinary. You are unique. You have strengths and weaknesses and fears, just like the rest of us. Every battle you overcome, every move you make, builds your character and makes you more spectacular.

I believe in you. I truly do. I know it seems odd, coming from a total stranger, but trust me on this one: you do not want to miss out on life. You have a purpose, whether it be to explore space or to raise a child, YOU ARE HERE FOR A REASON! You have come so far already, please don't give up now.

Imagine your life as a wheel, an ever-spinning, infinite wheel of events and possibilities. Whatever you are going through now is a minuscule bump. You have SO many great things ahead of you.

Look around you. Look at the birds, the threes, this wonderful earth. I don't know what happens after you die, but surely it isn't better than this.

YOU CAN DO IT!

Love,
Anonymous"

Poets unite!

April is National Poetry Month and TWINE waxes poetic with activities inspired by the words of Sherman Alexie, Emily Dickinson, Raymond Carver and more! Don't worry if you're not a big poetry fan -- you can have never written a word of poetry and still enjoy the April meeting.



If you were at last month's meeting and submitted writing and are wondering WHY it hasn't shown up on the blog, rest assured it will be posted in the next few days.

And, if you prefer to follow TWINE online, here's your homework for the month: browse through some books of poetry or find some poems online. Find one that you particularly like and then think about why. What images do you see when you read the poem? What words does the poet use that are particularly effective in creating a mood? What is the poem "saying"? Write your responses and include the poem that inspired you and send it to twine(dot)scld@blogspot(dot)com.