Dear Readers,
This semester I had the opportunity to obtain a Pen Pal through the organization Clemson Hope. The program I participated in, “Write for Hope,” connects Clemson students with local elementary schools and matches them with a student. Every two weeks, I would get out my rainbow-colored markers and a fresh sheet of paper to write to my girl. I loved getting my letter for the week with a quivery “Kelly” and a heart that followed. I laughed and smiled, and most importantly, I loved every second of writing to this young girl. Being in such a concentrated area with 20,000 other college students, we forget there’s a world out there filled with young kids. Because of this, I think we could all benefit from a hand-written letter and the creative, funny, and sometimes outrageous minds of children. Here are 4 important lessons my pen pal helped me to remember.
1. We Take Ourselves Too Seriously
“Have you ever made slime? If you have what’s your favorite slime? Mine is fluffy, crunchy, clear, cloud slime”, my pen pal asked me one week. Slime. Not something I have ever made nor thought about in recent years, but the thought made me smile. Right before I sat down to read her letter, I had just come from class, stressed out about an upcoming test. And while I’m not saying we should be making slime, this small thought put some things into perspective for me. As college students, we put so much unnecessary stress on ourselves. If we would take the time to slow down and take ourselves a little less seriously, we just might discover what our favorite kind of slime is after all.
2. Find Joy in the Small Things
“My favorite movie is Gnome Alone,” wrote my pen pal. If that statement alone does not make you smile, then I don’t know what does! Little things like her letters to me really made my day. For instance, I laughed when I saw in one letter a “Love, Hay” crossed out with an “Oops” next to it as she proceeded to correctly spell her name, “Haley.” Finding joy in small things like this made me really happy. I was excited to get her letters, and it made realize that we can find happiness in the most unlikely places.
3. Find Time For What You’re Passionate About
One thing I really enjoyed about my pen pal was that she LOVED to draw. Each week I would get extra pieces of paper with her drawings. The girl is talented! She drew me a “Chubby Bunny,” her favorite tv show character, her cat, hearts, emojis, and all sorts of designs on the outside of her letters. I made it an important part of my letters to tell her how much I loved her drawings and that she was a true artist. When we find something we are passionate about, especially at such a young age, I think everyone should tap in and run with it. As a child, she has the whole world ahead of her to do what makes her happy. As a current college student, I’m able to make the dreams that I had as a kid a reality. Her letters made me realize that even when I’m extremely busy, I need to make time for the things I love.
4. Be Open and Kind to Everyone
“Things that make me happy is playing with friends and writing letters to you,” my pen pal wrote to me. I was almost taken aback by this simple yet so meaningful statement. How cool is it that just based on our letters, we had created this bond between us? I was writing “Love, Kelly” at the end of my letters because I really felt like she was my friend, despite never meeting. Her simple, sweet words helped me to remember that we have the opportunity to connect with everyone we meet. Relationships like this are extremely important because you never know what an impact you might have on someone. So, like my pen pal, always be open and kind to one another.
Love,
Kelly