***we take you away from  your regularly scheduled blog for this message***

ALetterForYou

I was in Starbucks yesterday getting my caffeine fix and while I waited for my elixir of life I perused the bulletin board. Usually it’s random bits of info about things going on in the area. But this time there was something new on it: a handwritten letter. It’s so odd, these days, to see actual handwriting on something that I stepped closer to actually read it. And what I found was this message:

You Matter To Me

I invite you to write an anonymous letter to a person who has experienced violence, rape, bullying, or trauma.

 

Send your letters to: A Letter For You Project. Box 472, Garrett Park, MD, 20896.

 

Read, Share, and Inspire.

 

Your life matters to us.

Did you get chills? I did. I have no idea who is behind the website, nor who left this note in my Starbucks (yes it’s mine, I buy a lot of drinks there so I figure I’m part owner). But when I got back to my computer I visited the website. Wow. If someone who has experienced one of those horrible events finds this website… maybe…just maybe….a message here will speak to them. Maybe it’ll be enough to begin healing. Maybe it’ll be enough just to know they aren’t alone. A complete stranger cared enough to put pen to paper and then actually mail it…and some other stranger cared enough to scan it in and put it on a website for others to find. It’s a message in a bottle, internet style.

What an awesome thing.

To the one doing this, thank you.

To those reading my blog today, please, share this. You never know what will heal someone. And should you feel so inclined mail a letter of your own.

To those who have experienced any of those things, my virtual hugs to you.

You can see the letters already sent in at aletterforyou.org. (I feel obliged to put the words “possible trigger warning” here, though I have no idea if that’s even helpful. But there it is.)