A Gift Overdue : Small Letter, Big Thank You ( Amal Academy )
Introduction
There are many incidents in our lives that affect us in different ways. Perhaps there are people who silently solve problems for us or make things easier for us without us even realizing it. We have so many people around us. We know some of them, while most are strangers or passersby.
“A Gift Overdue” is a small activity with a beautiful thought behind it. It helps us pause and think about the people who have helped us or done something for us that meant a lot to us, even if it may have seemed like nothing to them.
I wrote letters to two people whom I wanted to show my gratitude to.
1st Letter: To My Cousin Brother
While making this card, I thought about the moment when he saw me scrolling through the Instagram page of Amal Academy and asked me what I was doing. He asked whether I had applied for the fellowship or not.
My answer was, “I don’t think I can do this. I won’t get selected, and I’m not even sure whether I should apply.”
He told me that I should at least apply and that everything else could come later. He encouraged me and kept checking whether I had applied or ignored his advice. His persistence made me a little stronger and gave me a little courage. With that courage, I applied and, surprisingly, got in.
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Writing this letter made me realize that someone’s kind words and belief in you can help you believe in yourself. They can make people stronger and a little kinder to themselves. We are often too hard on ourselves. We need to acknowledge that we deserve to be appreciated, even if all we do is show up.
2nd Letter: To a Really Kind Soul
She lives in a different city; otherwise, I would have made a handmade letter for her too.
Writing this letter took me back to the time when I first met her. I am a person who rarely starts conversations, and I thought it wouldn’t be any different this time. However, there was something that drew me towards her, and I am glad it happened that way.
Her calm nature and ability to handle things made it easier for me to navigate that time. I don’t think I ever appreciated her enough.
Sometimes, some actions are so small that no one even notices them, yet the effect they have can be huge.
Delivering The letters and there response
After writing the letters, I delivered both of them to the people they were meant for. My first instinct, as always, was nervousness, but I pushed through it and delivered both letters. They were both really surprised and asked what it was all about, so I explained the purpose of the activity and why I had written the letters for them.
- My brothers surprised look made me giggle but he was really grateful and told me that it was nothing. He did what he had to do in order to push me.
- Her reaction was so cute. She loved it and I felt really good after giving it to her. It was so wholesome.
They were really happy and thanked me for remembering those small actions they had done simply because they felt it was the right thing to do. Their response made me feel genuinely happy and grateful.
My Experience / What I learned
Writing and making these letters really humbled me and taught me to always be kind and to take action, even if it seems small. Those small actions might mean the world to someone who is struggling through life.
This experience and activity thought me that we may not always know how much our words or actions affect others. It also made me think about the importance of expressing gratitude instead of keeping it to ourselves.
Peace…
