Something amazing happened to me today. I received a hand written letter in the mail! What's so amazing you might ask? Besides the fact that people would rather use social media to communicate than old fashioned mail? Back in 2007 when I was at university, the youth worker at our church approached me and asked if I wanted to be part of a program called Kids Hope. This program pairs one adult with one primary school age child who either has learning or social difficulties, issues within the family home or disabilities. The adult then goes into the school and spends about an hour a week one on one with the child, talking, helping them with school work, doing activities etc... The purpose is to make the child feel valued and loved, because the circumstances they are in don't. I was paired with a child in grade 4. I admit I was apprehensive at first, wondering if I would make a good impression on this child or if they'd even like me. But it did not take long before we got along famously, and I was getting just as much out of our weekly meetings as they were. I looked forward to them every single week! It was really sad when, a few years down the track, I finished uni and started working full time, meaning I was no longer able to see them, but we were able to write to each other. Then I moved to Sydney and the letters dwindled until I thought we had lost contact. Until today. I opened my letterbox to find a hand written, 3/4 page letter from this child, who is no longer a child but a teenager in grade 11! They apologised for the length of time between letters, 3 years actually, and told me everything that was happening with them. I was so happy and filled with joy that I got very emotional. After several years I am now certain I have made an impact on this person's life, in a good way. It's their 16th birthday next week so I will write a letter and send a card and hopefully a small present too, to make sure they know I received their letter and how happy I am to have gotten it. There's nothing that I am more thankful for today than this.
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