I wrote my very first Legacy Letter to my oldest son was when he was 20. I wish I had known about Legacy Letters when he was born and had written one to him each birthday and at every major milestone. But I have used Legacy Letters since then to include memories and stories of him from all stages of his life. Writing has helped me recall all the wonderful memories of him at each age.
Writing Legacy Letters has also filled me with gratitude. Gratitude for the joy of being his mom, for the person he has become, for the opportunity of telling him how I feel.
Legacy Letters have also allowed me to share wisdom, traditions, values, stories and love with him without lecturing. These letters are tangible objects, things that he can—and will—return to again and again, to read when he needs a boost or to feel my love or just to remember traditions or stories we have shared.
When this son graduated from college, I asked family members—his grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles—to write him a legacy letter. My husband and I also wrote. I collected all the letters together and added in some pictures of him with each person into a photobook.
One of my clients just gave her daughter, who was graduating from college, a similar book. She told me the process of writing, collecting letters and finding the photos made so many fantastic memories come back to her mind and that her daughter was thrilled with the book. This young woman will be living far from home, but she will bring all that love and encouragement with her.
I know that the Legacy Letters my son received affected him, because I see that experience reflected in the great and meaningful letters he has written. He has written beautiful Legacy Letters to both of his grandfathers for their 90th birthdays, to his sister for her college graduation, to his dad for his 60th birthday, to his brother for his 18th birthday… I have loved reading all the letters that he has written. But this year for my birthday, he wrote to me.
When I received his (and my other two kids’) letters on my birthday, I was overwhelmed. The feeling of being seen was powerful. Hearing the moments we shared that they treasured filled me with joy and made me recognize the deep connections that we shared. I laughed and cried as I read. I have never felt more meaning in my life than I did at that moment.
You can have that impact both on yourself and others. When you write a Legacy Letter, you both bring joy and meaning to your reader and a sense of gratitude to yourself. In the process, you deepen the connections between you — all in one page of paper.
Ready to bring that joy and meaning to your friends and loved ones? Ready to tap into your gratitude and memories? Ready to deepen connections?
Get my Deepening Connections e-book.
I’ll show you step-by-step how to write Legacy Letters so that you can create a deeper, more meaningful, and lasting bond with people who matter to you at any time.