Wednesday, April 29, 2015

A Letter to Your Future

Every journey has a beginning, and so does this journey through grief. But how can you tell how far you've come?
One way to gauge your growth is to journal, and this project captures that idea---we'll write down what your life is like right now. In December when I mail your "letter to your future" back to you you'll be able to see if anything has changed.
If someone had encouraged me to do this project when I was widowed do you know what would have changed? In April and May of my second year I was really struggling to get OK and to be content. I was applying to graduate school and making friends with a fearlesss woman named Laura who would (unknown to me) pass away the following year. I hadn't dated at all and there were no prospects. But by December I had my first kiss from the man I'd marry!
So just as life can change forever-in-an-instant when your husband took his last breath---here's a scary thought---it can change instantly again! It's very important to know you're following the Lord!

 Psalm 90:12 (NIV)
Teach us to number our days,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
 
---A transformation Project for you ---

A Letter to Your Future Self.
This will be really cool.
  1. Copy and paste the following letter to a page you can print. Fill in the blanks and mail it immediately to Widows Christian Place, PO Box 4596, Florence, SC 29502-4596 USA
  2. I'm not going to open it! BE SURE to put your return address on it!!!
  3. I'll return it to you in December. 
Answer any of the questions you want. Draw a line through the others.
If you need more space grab another sheet of paper and write to your heart's content. Let me say it again---Mail your letter immediately! Otherwise you'll forget (I know the fog of widow brain)! If you want to change your answers, that's ok, just send in another copy before Sept. 20, 2015.ferree

Dear Me,

Here's what my life is like on this date: __________, 2015 

I live at this location:

Names of the people living with me (if any):

My closest family members are:

My closest friends are:

I work and/or volunteer at:

I go to church at:

People would describe me as:  

If widowhood is like a marathon I'm able to: (circle one)
      Run     Walk     Limp     Stagger    Crawl

I know for sure that I'll go to heaven when my time comes: (circle one)   Yes    Not sure

Apart from attending church, I draw strength from the Lord mostly by (circle any)
       prayer        Bible reading         memorizing Scripture       
                                          inspirational reading           
                             Christian music                     talking to friends

I'd describe my relationship and trust with God as:

An event I'm looking forward to this summer is:

Besides grief, my most frequent emotion is:

Am I getting enough exercise, healthy nutrition, and sleep?

What is one thing I can start doing today that will be good for me?

What is the most important thing I've learned thus far from widowhood?

What would I like to remember months from today?

Is there anything else I'd like to say?

4 comments:

  1. What a great idea Ferree! We know how much changes in our lives in the first couple years of widowhood. Everything!! Cindy

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Cindy, I'm getting such good feedback on this idea. I'm looking forward to checking my PO box next week and gathering the envelopes! Today I heard from a lady who's making copies for everyone in her group. She's going to mail them to me all together and then I'll send them back to her in December and they can all open theirs together and see how lives have changed. I'd love to be there to hear their stories. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I posted this on my fb page..."A Widows Pursuit". :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm so pleased to hear that Cindy/A Widows Pursuit. I hope they'll feel free to mail their letters to me for a safe return in December. :)

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to comment. I am not always able to reply but your remarks mean a lot to me and will appear as soon as possible.

Here are some tips for commenting:
Remember to click the Publish button when you are done.
Choosing the anonymous identity is easiest if you do not have your own blog.
Using a computer rather than a cell phone seems to work better. Thanks again!