5 Simple Steps to Writing Yours
A Lost Art Form
Have you ever written a letter to a friend or family member, put it in an envelope, addressed the envelope and mailed it the good old fashioned way? As children we wrote letters to family members who lived in other states. My grandmother kept some of those letters and it has been so fun to read through them as an adult. I think the art of writing letters has been lost. It’s just not the same to receive an email that is so easy to delete. Those handwritten letters were obviously precious to my grandmother who kept them for the rest of her life.
Every year I write a family newsletter to mail to friends and family with our Christmas cards. Over and over I hear from people that they enjoy reading it. So even though my husband and daughter always say “You are not going to do that this year, are you?”, I do it anyway. I look forward to the ones I receive from other people, too.
I like to think of it as a summary of the things we accomplished and the fun we enjoyed as a great way to document the year in a nutshell as well as to realize how blessed we are. My goal is to have it written and printed before Thanksgiving, which is perfect timing, because it really puts me in a grateful and thankful mood!
On the way home from work tonight I started drafting in my mind what will be in our newsletter this year. Then it occurred to me that sharing my reasons for writing it and how I write it might be something I should write for you. {This is not at all what I had planned to write this week!} Maybe you’ll be inspired to start this tradition for your family. If you already write a family newsletter please share your tips and ideas in the comments, I’d love to hear your process!
1. Head Games
My first phase is dread; that probably sounds silly after what you just read about why I write it. It’s all a head game. After hearing my husband and daughter question the writing of it I do have a moment of doubt as to whether I should continue the tradition. It happens every year. Then I remember my friend Rachel and others who always say they look forward to it. No more questioning myself; time to get started.
The other reason for the dread is that we are really rather boring people or at least that is my first thought when I start to try to think of interesting things to write. Then I remember that I’m only trying to fill up one page and if worse comes to worse I can always put a couple pictures and use a really big font to fill the whole page. The truth is I usually end up have a hard time keeping it down to one page.
So phase 1 is commit to doing it! Stop the head games. Get past the excuses for not doing it and focus on the great reasons for documenting a year in my family’s life.
2. A Simple Plan
Life may not always seem super exciting, but it is very busy, especially during this time of year. One way to make writing the family newsletter quick and enjoyable is to follow a simple plan. I use this outline to keep it simple:
1. A short greeting
2. One or two paragraphs about each family member activities, trips, hobbies, achievements, etc.
3. Any family memories we made together including vacation.
4. The closing is usually wishing them a Merry Christmas and hoping their family had a wonderful year, too.
I told you it is simple!
3. The Gathering
The first thing I do is ask my family what they want (or don’t want) included in the newsletter they don’t want me to write. In spite of their protests they usually think of something to include. I keep a family calendar, so I usually go through each month of the calendar to jog my memory. For example, when you see the end of school year awards ceremony on the calendar, it might remind you to include awards the children earned.
If you don’t have a family calendar, look through the school calendar, your work calendar, and any other calendar you keep. If you keep a journal (something I started about a month ago and am loving), look through that for all your family’s big wins for the year. Look through your Facebook posts and Instagram feed, too.
4. All Together Now
Now I write, much like I’m writing to you right now. I just start typing my thoughts and memories. I get it all together and then I edit, correct and edit some more. I also aim to keep it positive and happy. You know like mom taught you, “If you can’t say something good, don’t say anything at all.” Remember it’s all about the blessings and the reasons why the year was wonderful.
5. The Final Cut
Then I get my husband to proofread and make suggestions. Usually I’ve skimmed past some grammatical error that he catches or something that sounds good in my head, doesn’t sound as good in his. After I make his suggested corrections, it’s time to print!
After we print and fold we put one in each Christmas card we are mailing. For grandparents and other family members, when our daughter was still in school I would include her most recent school pictures. For friends and family that are local to us, I include an invitation to our annual Christmas open house.
Now do you feel like you can write your own annual family newsletter? It’s really simple and it is amazing how thankful it makes you feel and how much people appreciate reading them (at least that is what they tell me). If this post has inspired you or if you have something to add, please post in the comments. I’d love to hear your thoughts about it.
Blessings,
Lauree
…keep dancing the dream
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