Annual Letters

Thought this was worth sharing. In my spring cleaning frenzy, I found this buried deep in my “safe place” drawer. I put this away many years ago for the day when I had kids. I love this idea…

“Shortly after my daughter was born, I started a loving tradition that I know others (with whom I have subsequently shared this special plan) have also started. I tell you the idea here both to open your heart with the warmth of my story and also to encourage you to start this tradition within your own family.

Every year, on her birthday, I write an Annual Letter to my daughter. I fill it with funny anecdotes that happened to her that year, hardships or joys, issues that are important in my life or hers, world events, my predictions for the future, miscellaneous thoughts etc. I add to the letter photographs, presents, report cards and many other types of mementos that would certainly have disappeared as the years passed…I keep a folder in my desk drawer in which all year long, I place things that I want to include in the envelope containing her next annual letter. As her birthday approaches, I take out that folder and find it overflowing with ideas, thoughts, poems, cards, treasures, stories, incidents and memories of all sorts – many of which I had already forgotten – and which I then eagerly transcribe into that years annual letter.

Once the letter is written and all of the treasures are inserted into the envelope, I seal it. The envelope always reads “annual letter for XXX from her Daddy on the occasion of her nth birthday – to be opened when she is 21 years old”.

The tradition of writing her annual letters is now one of my most sacred duties as a Dad.