A bit past September...

Hey there Stranger,

I hope you are having a lovely day and that this letter finds you well! I am having a wonderful day myself, especially because we are standing on the very beginning of fall! Do you love fall? I hope you do! I absolutely love it!

There's something magical about it, ya know? The air grows crisp and cool, the leaves change and fall, and of course I can't forget football. :) Do you like football? I'm a huge fan of it!

I hope you know how incredible you are! You are never alone. You are beautiful. You are valued. And you are so important.

Happy September, my friend!

Anonymous

Writing Prompt Wednesday #6

Tell us about a book or poem that changed your life.

A Murdered Friend

Dear Stranger,

Hi. How is your day going? I'm going to tell you about something that has been eating at me & hopefully you'll listen... or continue reading.

So last Monday my friend was murdered. He was walking home & BOOM. Someone shot him. It's a shame when anyone gets killed like this, but I believed this guy was going to change the world. You would too if you knew him. It's been 4 days since he died, & and I'm still wondering "Why?"

Why does God or whoever is up there decide to take people like that? Quite frankly, I'm not so sure there is anyone up there anymore. If there was, this wouldn't have happened.

If you have lost someone, then  you know how it feels. If you haven't then  you couldn't possibly understand the pain. Geeze, I sound like the begininning of a Lemony Snicket novel. I will try to explain what losing someone is like: it is like hearing every goodbye you've never been told. I hope that was an adequate explanation.

If there's one thing I can tell you that I've learned from him it was to be kind. Be gentle & rought at the same time. Be spontaneous with a dash of planning. Decide to save the world and work to do it. Never EVER settle for "Good enough." You deserve more than mediocrity. Put your best foot forward & even if you fail it doesn't matter. What matters is the feeling you get when you accomplished something truly amazing. No dream is ever out of your reach if you want it enough.

Most of all he taught me that one person really can make a difference & you really should appreciate everyone in your life. You never know what you have until it's gone alright. So that was more than one thing. Doesn't he sound amazing though? He was & you would have loved him. I don't even need to know you to tell you that.

Hopefully, I made a difference in your life even if it was just for today. I hope you have a great & full life! Also, please know that just by writing you, you have helped me with this healing process. Thank you so much.

With all the love in the entire world,

Anonymous

Baby Moose

Dearest Stranger,

I hope this letter finds you well... I want you to know that you are special, and hat you can do anything you set your mind to. It took me a great deal of trial and error to learn that for myself. For too long, I allowed family, significant others, and "friends" to pull me down with negativity.

But you know what? We only have one change to be here - one life to live. So live. Live your life the way you want. - the way that fills your heart with love, joy, and pride. Know that there is someone who believes in you, who believes in your dreams and aspirations.

I wish you happiness, love, and I wish for you peace of mind. You are unique... (((Hugs))) Smile!

Love,

Me

Writing Prompt Wednesday #5

Write a poem about the changing seasons.

Writing Prompts

A collection of Wednesday Writing Prompts to challenge and inspire you:

• Share a story about the life of the oldest person you know.

• Recall a time when a stranger helped you, improved your life, or brightened your day.

• If you could write a letter to your younger self, what would you say?

• Tell the tale of a turning point in your life.

• Write a poem about the changing seasons.

• Tell us about a book or poem that changed your life.
  
  
• Write a letter about a recent lesson life has taught you.

Your Humble Narrator

Dear Stranger,

Isn't this funny? Otherworldly, to an extent. In a culture and society where stranger's bodies constantly graze one another in accidental miscalculations of personal space, yet their minds are as far away as the deepest opposites of the corners of the universe. Or so it seems at times. Yet here you are. Accepting this letter. And here I am. Writing it. To a stranger I know I will get no reply from, nor know anything about. It creates a confidential freedom between us, won't you agree? It is precisely for this reason, for this candid environment that I write. It is this I lack. And desperately year for. A connect. Beyond judgement.

I don't have much to say, really. I use to. When I thought I was on the verge of some kind of pinnacle moment or idea. Not anymore. I'm not so familiar with life anymore. I hardly ever feel a sense of urgency. We choose for ourselves the rules we live by. Knowingly or unknowingly, whether we would like to admit this or not. I just don't know what to choose. So I live among the rest. Making a living. doing what interests me - if it's anything at all. I have many, but lately more of them seem to matter. I've been feeling this way about mostly everything, including our own lives. Compared to the span of endless time and space nothing we do now matters one bit. Yet it's a collective. So, somehow it must. Now this feels like a journal entry rather than a letter.

How do you choose what to do? And why do you do it? This is what my mind burns to know, from everyone. Fear constitutes so many people's lives. Fear of having no money - so they work a job they hate. Fear of rejection - so the stick to what's comfortable, wading around in the same muck for years. This is not the way it should be. This should not be a worthy life. Despite struggle over finding meaning, purpose in their lives. I say there is no purpose of existing other than to simply exist. So why not enjoy nature and all it's fruits and stop worrying? If we all did this, we wouldn't have to worry. But we live in interesting times. People need help. I know I do. But I want to help more than anything. I just don't know how. Or even who. Most simply don't want to help.

So I'm stuck here. Writing my frustrations to a stranger. Being pushed around in circles by my own whirlpool. Then I fall back in exhaustion and remind myself to keep it simple, and stick to the very moment I'm in, until opportunity arises. So what's the point of me writing this? There is no point, naturally. Just to keep energies in motion. Pass around some theories. Create to do what's natural and instinct - to connect to a stranger. Since we're living, we might as well live how we wish to. And do plenty of good. What else do you really have to do?

Your humble narrator,

Anonymous

P.S. - I'm terrified. The only thing I'm certain of is the uncertainty of this life. I truly believe in the words I write in this letter. But sometimes I wish I didn't. I wish there was an answer to it all. To stop the suffering. The doubting. The madness. Where one day I'll wake up and figure it all out. It's as if I feel the pain of the world. I wish there was a way to life this burden.

(This letter came with a sheet of stamps, which I  just ran out of the day before... Thank you humble narrator. Sometimes even small seeming things can be a huge help.)

Sharing Some Words

Normally I post writings by other people... So here is one of mine.

Writing Prompt Wednesday #4

Share a story about the life of the oldest person you know.

I dare you to smile.

Dear Perfect Stranger,

Today I dare you to smile. It doesn't matter why. Simply smile. It could be over something that's seemingly insignificant, like the sound of a soda can opening, or it could be over something a bit more meaningful like a loved one laughing. Whatever the reason, a smile will brighten your day... I promise. :)

If you can't seem to find something to smile over I will give you a very good reason.

YOU ARE ALIVE! :)

You are alive. You are here... for a reason. So smile about it!

So go forth and grin wider than the Cheshire Cat! :D

Have a wonderful day!

Sincerely,

Just Another Stranger

"The proper order of things is often a mystery to me. You, too?" -Cheshire Cat

I found this today.

I found this today after struggling with my own depression. Thank you Stranger. It meant a lot to me.

Surprise? Kitty cat.

Dear Stranger,

I hope this finds you well. I am well, at the port of a new adventure. When given the opportunity it seems, I will always choose the option of life experience, or, "furthest from the norm." I wonder sometimes if I will always be this wall, will the wind I follow ever settle, - and do I want it to? I like to imagine one day, delightful! I will be drawn to a place or two for a while... It will be different, and this is what I enjoy best- if you do a thing all the time though, it is no longer the unique and different thing it once was. How do you live? When you must decide: Do you stay or go? Heads or tails? Pass or plunge? There is no "right" answer. There might not be an answer at all. Someone once told me; If you only do what you've always done you're going to get what you already got.

Maybe.

All I know is you can always leave a new place and go back to an old one, but if you never leave you never go anywhere. This too, is something I can admire. It is different to me, and as you know Stranger, I like different things.

Life, as far as I can tell is terrible and beautiful, often at the same time. You've heard it before I am sure but really, some palaces smell funny, and warehouses are homier than anything you can cookie cut up. Enjoy yourself, I hope you do- not too sure what else there is otherwise. One day I'd like a yard and to keep bees, but until then I seem to find them where ever I go. Know what i mean? I hope you are getting where you are going, and that might not mean going anywhere in particular. Good luck and much love. Keep Listening, Strangely yours.

P.s. a couple band aids for the tough, hurt times, and stickers for the fun times. Have fun.

(This came with two band aids. One has Wolverine on it, and the other has Hello Kitty.)

Be a little weird, a little quirky.

Dear Stranger,

There are so many people in this world who wake up with a frown on their face, perhaps it's because they've forgotten how to smile, maybe one of those people are you.

"You will see the world for all that it is, and for all that it is not, what you should do, is choose to see the world the way you wish it to be, so that way every day will be a new adventure." - I wrote that myself. Wake up in the morning with a smile on your face, set your sights high, make your dreams come true. Do what makes you happy and do a good deed. Knowing that you've made someone else's day just by leaving a little note, or helping someone across the street, it only takes a little to mean a whole lot.

Most importantly, never forget who you are, don't try to be anybody but yourself. You are not alone. There are so many people who shift and change. They work so hard to be what everyone else wants them to be. INDIVIDUAL. That's what you are. None of use are the same. Be a little weird, a little quirky. Put yourself before others, "what's best for myself?"

I care about you stranger, whether you're homeless, rich, living in a mansion, or poor living on welfare. There are too many people in this world to worry about which path of life they've come from. Here is a goal for you: Make a new friend today and show them who you really are.

- From a Stranger who cares :)

Writing Prompt Wednesday #3

Recall a time when a stranger helped you, improved your life, or brightened your day.

Summers in Ukraine

Dear Stranger,

I have so many things to tell you! I cannot do justice to my feelings inside. This summer, I returned to the beautiful country of Ukraine. I was fortunate enough to travel there last summer and spend time with some of the most amazing kids in the world. When I go there, I spend time with orphans. Most of them are 12 and up. It is unbelievable to hear their stories. One girl ran away from home because her mother was trying to sell her organs. Others told me how their father's work takes him away from home and their mother began drinking heavily. They (twin boys) moved from Russia to Ukraine to live with their grandmother. When she died, they were sent to the orphanage. Almost all of these orphans have families who, a) didn't want them, b) couldn't afford them, c) were unfit to care for them.

Despite everything these kids have been through, THEY STILL SMILE! I go there to put on a summer camp environment for them because in the summer, they are at a state park with NOTHING to do. We have morning and evening programs, master classes, craft time, (in smaller groups), REC, and we spend time with them. It is the most rewarding thing I have EVER been a part of.

Last year, I met a guy named ______. He was about sixteen at the time, he has a brother at home, who lives with his family, and he loves to break dance. When I first saw him my stomach tangled into knots. On each arm, front and back, he had at least 10 GASHES. Self inflicted gashes. If this were to happen in the states, he would have gotten stitches for each cut and been seen to be evaluated. It turned out he was in my group (we spent time with our groups in the morning and evening. Groups are determined by the orphanages, so the kids are with the people they live/attend school with during the year.) We became friends, but were unable to keep in touch over this past year. When I returned to the camp this year, he really began to open up to me. He told me that he missed me and would miss me again when I left. He told me this past year was different for him. I asked why and then he said, "When things in my life were difficult, I thought of you and I felt better and I could deal with what I was going through." Wow. There is nothing special about me Stranger. I am an ordinary person and to know that I could be used in such a great was is beyond humbling, even though we have to speak through translators, it still comes across why a group of us go there every summer. It's because we want them to know that somewhere on this Earth, there are people who love them. You may go to Radooga.com if you would like more information about these camps.

Thank you for listening Stranger! I will leave you with this: You don't have to be extraordinary to make a difference, if you are willing to love someone, you can change their life and give them hope.

With love, Me

P.S. I believe.

(On back: Eventually everyone's heart will be full.)