Welcome to the Diary
Looking to see the impact your love letters are making? You can find it here! We keep this space stocked with all the updates, encouragement + good news happening in our community! Be sure to bookmark this page and come back and visit us whenever you need a little boost!
In February, our community collected love letters for Denika— a new mom to a beautiful little girl who’d just found out her dad had an aggressive form of brain cancer.
Her facilitator, a close friend, sent along a sweet testimonial we couldn’t resist sending your way!
In October 2023, we shared the story of Katie— a young woman who recently lost her father and was nominated to receive a Love Letter Bundle from her friend Cass. Katie comes from a big family and her friend described her as “tenacious and kind,” yet shy and hard on herself.
October was Katie’s birthday month, and we really wanted to make it extra memorable for her.
In October 2023, we collected love letters for Steven.
In case you need the refresher, Steven lost his wife a little over a year ago after 64 years of marriage. His daughter nominated him to receive a Love Letter Bundle— especially because Steven looks forward to getting the mail every day.
Well, it’s no surprise to us (since you’re amazing in every way), but this community showed up for Steven in a big way.
May is the perfect month to celebrate the incredible women in our lives, and this May, you sent encouragement in droves to someone who couldn’t be more deserving of it.
This spring, we had the opportunity to encourage Lydia - a recent high school graduate in need of some light.
“The process of being involved in the letters is really something, I want to say akin to magic.”
Samantha is the brightest rock star who needed a reminder that there’s still some good and kindness in the world.
Amy needed a reminder that she wasn’t alone - that there is still space for light and hope.
Your letters were that reminder.
It’s never easy to be far from the ones you love, especially when life is doling out intense pressure everywhere you turn. This March, you showed up to encourage Ghazal and remind her just how loved she is.
Ryan needed encouragement as he worked tirelessly to get his family back on their feet. And in classic MLL fashion, you delivered.
This March, we had the opportunity to encourage Lyn—a wonderful woman who needed a reminder of how much value she brings to the world.
Sometimes, the letter writer needs a turn to be the one with a full mailbox.
Brenda’s niece, Kaitlyn, nominated her aunt for a love letter bundle as a part of the 12 Days of Love Letters campaign. Like us, Brenda is a letter writer. Kaitlyn wrote us to share her aunt’s story.
This holiday season, you wrote from all across the globe to encourage Jane - a woman struggling under the weight of anxiety and grief.
This February, you sent over 140 letters filled with love to Belgium to remind someone that even strong people deserve to be taken care of.
Jane was nominated for the 12 Days of Love Letters by her daughter, Karen.
Karen wrote to us to share her mom’s story.
This holiday season, you encouraged Ed as he walks through one of the most painful heartbreaks imaginable. This past October, Ed lost the love of his life - his best friend. They had been married for 61 years.
Sometimes, we all need the words of someone who cares to act as our lifeboat. This holiday season, you gave Ricky the encouragement that he needs to carry him through the new year.
This November, we collected love letters for Tali— a young woman trying desperately to remember her purpose and rediscover her joy.
Change is never easy. This past February, you all helped make a hard season a little lighter for a very special person.
This August, we collected love letters for Leana— a mom who has walked through the unimaginable.
Caitlin nominated her dear friend Melissa for a Love Letter Bundle this past May. Earlier in the year, Melissa had moved across the country to Chicago for a new job after spending the past decade in Los Angeles. One major factor in saying yes to such a big decision was the appeal of being closer to family. Then in March, Melissa lost her father to his extended battle with cancer. He had survived well past his initial prognoses, but his passing was very sudden. You all SHOWED UP for her - and it meant the world.
In May, we collected love letters for Matthew— a 12-year-old boy who has done a lot of growing up in the past year. With his older brother battling cancer, Matthew has been holding down the fort at home. Matthew received more than 300 letters, 25 packages, and 5 letters from around the world including....(drum roll)...Italy, Ireland, Germany, New Zealand, Canada, and the Philippines.
When my sister ́s letter request was posted in February, I was jittery with excitement. But I didn’t actually realize what was happening until I got the first letter out of our mailbox.
As of yesterday, 169 letters have come in, from around 24 states and 3 countries (New Zealand, Canada, Australia)!
Navigating Life’s Changing Seasons
There’s no easy answer, but I think it would benefit us all to take fewer cues from societal shoulds, social media, or marketing campaigns, and instead strive to observe the changing seasons of our lives in the way we watch summer blaze into fall, or spring blossom from winter– without judgment or rush to action, with acceptance, with a celebration of the uniqueness, the worth, of each new stage over fruitless yearning for some other time. After all: there’s beauty and value in even the hardest seasons of our lives, if we can accept that suffering is as much a part of life as any positive emotion, if we can accept change as the only constant, if we can accept that all things– both good and bad– eventually pass, if we can try to appreciate rather than resist.
The Only One
You may specifically not identify with being Black, female, or a minority in a field dominated by people who may not share your ethnicity, background, or culture. However, I do believe that most people can identify with feeling lonely, out of place, disconnected, or like no one understands how you feel or what you’re going through. You may be looking for your “Waldo” amongst a sea of people around you—only to leave feeling that you are the “only one”. I’m here to tell you that you are not alone. You may feel lonely, but you are never alone.
Take a Leap: The Lifelong Love Affair of Cold Water Swimming
I make a promise to myself. A wish. A hope. A request for renewal. It's always a different promise. But mostly it goes– If I make this leap, I am inviting love and the reward that comes from accomplishing brave acts into my life.
This is Not a Self-Help Article About Authenticity.
For years I have held onto this idea of authenticity, of growing in my own self-awareness and self-acceptance, recognizing I have something good to offer the world as myself. No need for pretenses or performances or mirages. If I am to be accepted, it should be as myself, not a caricature of how I wish to be perceived.
Being a Habitualist Versus a Ritualist
In truth, by harnessing both The Habitualist and The Ritualist, you will experience happiness on a significantly deeper level and sustain it, so whatever you decide - just start now.
Sitting with hard emotions.
Hard feelings look different for everyone. For some, it’s paralyzing; you feel like your brain is put on pause from too many thoughts flying around. For some, it can manifest as physiological symptoms: headaches, stomachaches, fatigue, insomnia.
Figuring Out Who You are as a Minority in America
We are never just one thing. Our identity is made up of hundreds of puzzle pieces. The bigger picture never stops growing. Every single day we continue adding to it because it demonstrates our story.
Throughout the holiday season, you rallied for Nic- a newly retired veteran who’d served in multiple combat deployments and was awaiting surgery in December.
While we were away on hiatus, we got an update from Nic’s wife and are thrilled to report that over 290 love letters showed up for Nic.