Can Love Letters Change the World?

posted by Michele Olson; michele@foundationformarriage.org

With the "Big" holiday of Valentines day coming up on Feb. 14th, most people won't realize that another celebration is taking place from Feb. 7th -Feb. 14th...It's National Marriage Week!

In honor of this wonderful week, we at the Foundation for a Great Marriage are celebrating in a unique way on Feb. 9th. We've put together 1,000 Love letter kits to hand out. Each kit will contain stationery, a stamped envelope, a pen and tips on writing a love letter.

So, what will be the results of 1,000 PLUS love letters going out into the universe?

We're hoping we won't have to guess! We want everyone who writes a love letter to blog back some results of what happened when you sent your love letter!

When was the last time you wrote a love letter to your spouse, especially if you aren't newlyweds? We're all pretty good about signing the word "love" at the end of a greeting card that has the sentiment "I'm sure I don't say it enough", but that doesn't quite go far enough in really getting out some heartfelt thoughts.
We fall closer to the old story about the lady who complained that her spouse never told her that she loved him. When asked why he replied "I told her once, and if anything changes, I'll let her know! "

So what about you? Even if you aren't getting a kit...can we count on you to join the celebration and send a letter?

It's really quite simple. Find a quiet place, and take a moment to clear your thoughts. Put on some of your favorite music, put a picture of your loved one in front of you and start to write.
To truly make it a special letter, write about all the things you cherish about your loved one. Add your personality...do you like to doodle...or write rhymes? Does a verse or chorus of a song come to mind? Add it in! Really express yourself in a new and fresh way.

Can love letters change the world? We think they can. Best of all, they can change your world with your loved one.

And, they can change you.

On Feb. 9th send a love letter and then tell us the stories of what happens.

We'd love to hear from you!

P.S...Send this blog to all your friends so they send love letters on Feb. 9th...we're counting on you!

Bringing Up Marriage in 2007

Author Note: You'll notice a change in the tone of the blog in this New Year...many thanks for all the great educational articles previously posted, and don't forget to visit them in the archives! I'm Michele Olson, Communications Director at Foundation for a Great Marriage, and you'll notice that we're moving to a more conversational mode. We really want to hear from you and your thoughts on marriage in our culture. Please blog often, the blog will never be as good as it could be if you aren't participating! Blessings to all!

If you’ve been attending some holiday parties the past few weeks, you’ve probably made more than your share of small talk. From sport teams to the weather to family news, you’ve been bringing up topics and lending your thoughts to the conversations.

This year, why not bring up a topic that may be a surprise to your circle of friends and colleagues.

Talk about the state of marriage here in Wisconsin.

Stay with me, it really is something worth thinking about.

Ask people if they think about it much, and what they feel about marriage. See if anyone has given much thought to the sad statistic that 50% of marriages end in divorce.

If you think bringing up this topic could be the proverbial “wet blanket” and cause a few eyes to roll, let’s imagine what the conversation could be like.

You: Hey, anyone else tired of hearing the statistic that 50% of marriages end in divorce?

Them: Yah, we’re tired of it. But, that’s the way it is…anyone see that new reality show?

You: Wait a minute... I’ve decided that I can’t live with that statistic. In fact, the very act of thinking about marriage and what it means to us as a community has really stirred up something inside of me…

Them: Really? There are a lot of things to think about; world hunger, poverty, wars, crime…

You: All important, no doubt…but it’s good marriages that are at the root of the well-being of children, the prevention of poverty, the dignity of women and men…the health of our society really stems back to the health of our marriages.

Them: Sounds like you have been thinking about marriage! I guess I can honestly say, I have never given much thought to the fact that I should think about marriage… that I could do anything to affect the breakup of the family.

You: What would be the impact if we agreed to just start thinking about the importance of marriages and healthy families…what would be the effect? What kind of conversations would we hear at the water cooler and the local coffee shops? Just getting the conversation going could make a big difference

Them: Sounds easy enough, to really start exploring what that statistic of 50% divorce rate means and learning more about it. What got you so excited? How did you begin?

You: I went to the internet and found out that there are other people that are thinking about the importance of marriage. A great first stop is an informative website that has wonderful resources in the form of articles and programs that promote marriage…www.foundationformarriage.org
Explore the site. That’s a good first step. Next…I’m going to bring up the topic of marriage, and get people talking. I want to do something about the marriage statistic because in the end…statistics are people, and people matter.

Them: Explore a website and start thinking and talking about marriage. Sounds pretty doable for anyone.

You: Are you with me?


Are you with us? Can we count on you to explore the website at www.foundationformarriage.org? You’ll find a wealth of information in the resources and research area…enough to get you thinking about marriage and bringing it up in your next conversation!

We’d love to hear your stories of what happens when you bring up marriage…
Together we can affect a really sad statistic…

Let us hear from you!