A love letter to love letters
If you’re feeling fortunate about love in your life, read on.
This post is designed to inspire you to write a love letter expressing what is in your heart. As we often say, there is tremendous power in reflection. What is a love letter if not a reflection of your feelings for someone else? (We also advocate writing a love letter to yourself too).
Though you may think of a love letter as a relic from the past, remember that actually some of the most remarkable insights and sources of inspiration come from digging into the past. Plus, nostalgia can feel lovely!
So if it has been a while since you’ve written a love letter to your partner, maybe now’s the time to revisit this practice. Of if you’ve got a new love in your life, there’s hardly a sweeter and more intimate thing to do than to share in words how you feel about your love with your love.
Even in an age when we can communicate to another person via our wristwatches, crafting a love letter remains timeless. Love letters eternally live on as a way to express heartfelt and authentic sentiments between romantic partners.
How do you write a love letter?
You can write your love letter the same way you go about writing anything where you are tapping into your emotions: Allow yourself to feel what you are feeling and then let yourself find the words that capture what it is that you feel. Then get it out by writing it down.
The words will start to flow. Even if you end up changing your wording or making some major edits, you’ll have tapped into what is driving you to write the letter and what you’re wanting to communicate. Not many of us are naturally gifted at capturing what we are trying to say in words or accessing our deep feelings; writing a love letter can help bring you there and focus your message.
What should your love letter look like?
You are the only person to define the limits of your love letter. Whether poem or novella, post-it note or love song, whether written with hand-dipped ink or scribbled in pencil, it can convey a lot. Your note need not be long to have impact. If you write from the heart, it will read as honest and open and thoughtful and sweet. Getting in touch with your emotions will guide you to find the words and express what you’re wanting to communicate.
And if you’re looking for a starting place to get the ink flowing, here are some prompts:
Some of my favorite things about you/ about us ….
I am grateful for you because…
When I think about you,…
Since you’ve come into my life…
Aside from (unintentionally) improving your communication skills and building awareness of your own emotions, writing a love letter can promote many positives in your relationship as well. A love letter can ignite or reawaken excitement and passion in your relationship. Sharing emotions is a way to build closeness and intimacy in your relationship. Your partner will know how you are feeling right now, which may make your partner feel really good! So while your love note might seem like a little gesture, it may inspire a whole lot more!
A love letter also makes for a wonderful physical keepsake of where you are at this point in your lives together. You can revisit this point of time at any point in the future.
Regardless of what your letter looks like, you’re bringing something bold and expressing some of your most heartfelt feelings when you write a letter to your love. So tap into what you feel and get writing!
Written with love,
Marni Amsellem, Ph.D.
Founder, Write. Reflect. Grow.