You Probably Don’t Know What You Did – How A Personal Letter Opened My Eyes

This last weekend I was honoured to be a part of the wedding of our good friends who live in Devon, they tied the knot in true style!

They said “I do” with the rolling hills of Devon behind them, surrounded by the people who mean the most to them. It was pretty clear these two aren’t short of people who care about them.

They are the most thoughtful and caring couple you will ever meet, always there when you need them, despite living three hours away.

Sitting down for the Wedding Breakfast I noticed that there was an envelope with my name on it, I heard chatter along the table, turns out, I was not alone.

The Bride and Groom had handwritten a letter to every single guest… Seventy guests, 140 handwritten letters, as there was a letter from each of the newlyweds. All of them were a personal message to the recipient.

I can’t comment on what everyone else’s said, but mine was a heartfelt message about what I meant to them and that one little question years ago meant so much… I had no idea…

This got me thinking…

How many times has someone done something for you that meant more than they realise?

It may have been something tiny, something insignificant, a phone call at the right time or an invite for a beer… run of the mill stuff.

But it might have been exactly what you needed at the time.

Reading that letter made me realise that I’d done something for my mate, something I didn’t realise meant so much to him and it was so lovely to know.

So why don’t we tell people this stuff more often?

Someone in your life might have done something that helped you through a difficult time, changed the direction you were heading in for the better, made you feel included or simply gave you a memory you still laugh about… They might be sitting at home completely unaware of the difference they made.

Imagine what it might mean to them if they were to find out.

You could send them a message, or an email, it takes seconds, it would still be good, but for me there was something different about receiving an actual handwritten letter.

In this digital world all these instant messages and emails get lost in the ether, we type it out on the go and hit send, maybe even pick it up whilst stuffing our faces with a sausage roll and before you know it the message is…. “Lost in time, Like… Tears in Rain”.

Whereas unlike an email, a letter requires a certain level of attention… you can’t swipe it away, accidentally close it. You have to do something with it, stick it to the fridge or file it away somewhere safe so you stumble upon it in years to come.

I’m not saying everyone should start writing letters, but I am going to!

Not seventy people at a time, I’d get hand cramps…. Tee hee. But every now and again when someone has done something that means something, or I remember a time that needs a few words I’m going to try and actually tell them.

And I’ll do it properly… Pen, paper, envelope and stamp!

Because there are people in my life who probably have no idea the impact they’ve had on me.

And they deserve to know!

Yours Sincerely

TM.

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