Introduction
Letters have always been a way of communication that I find particularly important. I think letters represent purity and honesty through words that do not come across in many other mediums. Something that particularly attracts me to letter writing is the fact that there is always a clear intended audience. I like that the author has the authority to direct the letter to a recipient and fashion the message accordingly. As a child, I took birthday cards very seriously, and this evolved in my tendency to take writing, as a whole, seriously. I believe that connectivity through words elicits beautiful relationships, particularly when there is a clearly delegated author and recipient.
I want to write a letter to my future daughter about things I hope for her as I reflect on the world today. In our meeting, Alexa Weinberg also suggested that I could turn this into a larger project of “Open When...” letters, so if I choose to develop it more I would like to utilize that idea. For now, I will write an “Open When…you need a friend,” letter and start there.
Genre Research
For this experiment, I will be writing a letter to my future daughter. The genre I am analyzing is “Letters,” particularly letters to future beings. To develop my understanding of this, I read two letters. The first letter, called “An Open Letter to my Future Wife,” is a touching piece detailing what the author will do to make his future wife happy. Something I noticed about this piece was that the author makes sure to not only detail the future situation but also what is going on at the present moment. I would like to emulate that in my writing. I also enjoyed the “I promise” repetition throughout the letter. Next, I read “A Letter to my Future Friends,” which comes from an anxious teen to her future college friends. I love how this piece is filled with promises as well. I hope to emulate that!
Sample
Open When...You Need a Friend
To my future daughter,
Growing up is hard, and the world can be a scary place filled with mean girls and boys when you simply need a friend. I am your friend. Though you may look at your mother now and see an old woman who could never ever relate to you, here I am. The most relatable your dear old mother has ever been. I am your mother when she was just like you.
I write a letter filled with promises to you, and though it is only 2021, I have already learned a lot. I just got the COVID-19 vaccine, and I live in a house with six other girls. Joe Biden is the POTUS and my brother just took the ACT for the last time. I look to the future as the most beautiful promise life has ever given me. In the future, these things that seem so big and scary right now will pale in comparison to being a full-fledged adult.
I hope that your world is filled with sunshine and laughs at 3 AM and 3 PM alike. Your world should be free of disease and terrorism, and it will inspire revolutions of happiness. But, please know, that if your world does not look like this, I promise to be there for you.
I promise to be there when the world is too scary to handle.
I promise to finish the food on your plate when you are too full.
I promise to hold your hand when you need it on your first college visit.
I promise to hold you after your first break-up.
I promise to buy you tubs of ice cream whenever you want, in any flavor that you’d like.
I promise that I was once like you, even if you don’t want to hear that.
I promise to be your best friend.
I love you already.
From,
Your Mother