Letters to Our Children

“The word that is heard perishes, but the letter that is written remains.” 

Imagine there was someone out there that loved and cared for you so much that they wanted you to know everything about them. How they thing, how they feel, why they do what they do. So they take the time to sit down and write it all out. This person pours it all out onto the page there for you to read at any time. If you feel alone and sad they have advice on how to handle it. You are worried or afraid? No sweat just look to the letter. Having a great day and want to celebrate? Sure! Read through the words of cheer, and happiness, and love. This is the ultimate guide book for everything you might experience in life. The only thing that would better than this letter would be to have that person right there physically with you.

That is a great picture right?

The funny thing is that we DO have that. Its called the Bible. It is God’s amazing love letter to us, those who choose to put our faith and trust in Him and His plan.

This is the way that I have always heard my husband explain the Bible. It’s more than just a book of stories, poetry, history, and songs. Its a living thing packed full of valuable information given to us by a Father who LOVES us so much He gave us the ultimate sacrifice; His One and Only Son’s life for the sake of all the rest of his creation.

For someone who grew up without a father or that strong male influence in his life, over the past 16 years this is a concept that Dusty has really clung to.

It is also the reason that he made the decision when we found out we were pregnant with our first child to begin writing letters to our kids.

In 2009 for Christmas Dusty gave me a journal. It wasn’t anything fancy. He probably picked it up in the notebook isle at Wal-Mart. But the meaning behind it was wonderful. This would be Collin’s love letter from us to him. From before he was born up until he is 18 and ready to leave the home we would take the time to write to him. We would write down his accomplishment, share some of his struggles, and provide as much guidance and wisdom as we possibly could. Then when he is grown and ready to leave home and start out in the world that book would become his to take. He can add to it, or leave it as it is with the words we felt God was laying on our hearts to share with him.

Collin’s journal is the green one on the bottom RaeLynn’s is the purple one on the top.

Of course we picked out a beautiful journal for RaeLynn when we found out we would be having a little girl. The plans are the same for her as they are for her brother. Write, share, and love through the words God gives us to share.

Life has a way of getting busy and we have not been as consistent with writing in the journals like we would like BUT we plan on changing that now. So starting today (only because it’s the last day of the month) we plan to be writing in their journals at least once every month. It may not be the same day for each kid every month but at some point we will be sharing each month.

This is something that we have felt is really important for us to build the legacy for our kids. Sometimes actually sitting down and writing isn’t your thing but you would still like to begin some type of keeping track of your kids as they grow. Here are a few other suggestions:

Create your child individual e-mail accounts.

This is a suggestion I have heard being done several times. Parents will create each child an e-mail account. They will then send e-mails to their kids and once they get to a certain age they will be given the account and password. Then they have not only all the e-mails you sent to them as they were growing up but they also have a way to continue to communicate with you when they grow up and move on. Another great feature on this one is that you can use your digital photos from your phone or tablet and send them in the emails and the kiddos will have access to childhood photos.

Create a Scrapbook for your child.

My mom and I LOVE to scrapbook. It is always fun for us to look through the different albums that we have created and see all the pictures. The old saying is that “a picture is worth a thousand words” so why not give your child thousands and thousands of words though picture scrapbooks. These are fun because you can really create something that fits with each child’s individual personality or based on a particular event.

No matter what you do take time to pour into your legacy. You children are the mark you are leaving on the world. Leave them a love letter, tell them who you are, so that they can then tell their children and their children’s children, and so on down the line.

What do you do to pass on your thoughts to your kids as they grow? Share your ideas in the comments!