THURSDAYS 7 - 8:30 PM CENTRAL TIME, SEPTEMBER 24, 2020 & OCTOBER 1, 2020
OR
SUNDAYS 12 NOON TO 1:30 PM CENTRAL TIME SEPTEMBER 13, 2020 & SEPTEMBER 20, 2020
If you are reading this, please join me for a deep dive into the rich, nourishing depths of acknowledgment, appreciation, acceptance, forgiveness, encouragement, and love.
My dear friend died alone from an overdose. The guilt I felt over not seeing her in the last years of her life was almost impossible to handle. Then her best friend found a letter, which completely transformed our experience.
The letter she left behind started with the classic line, “If you are reading this, it means I am gone.”
Her humor, faith, and forgiveness felt like soul-balm. I want everyone to experience the relief and reassurane I felt as I read my friend’s letter.
This remote writing class is designed to help people create heartfelt letters that truly impact their loved ones, whether they send the letters now or save them as inherited legacies filled with shared memories, unforgettable moments, deep appreciation, wise advice, complete forgiveness, and unconditional love.
In short: if you love someone, this workshop will help you express your love and appreciation in the most personal creative way you can imagine.
This two-week remote letter writing workshop is a safe, dynamic space in which your creativity and your appreciation will flourish. While this is a serious subject, this writing class is not a sad class. Unique writing prompts, journaling exercises and lively conversation will:
inspire a deep appreciation for your life experience
help you discover exactly how to say exactly what you’ve been meaning to say for so many years
gently lead you to the fulfilling process of forgiveness and true self-expression through skillful letter writing
learn about the lasting power of acknowledgment and appreciation in everyday life
Share the stories that mean so much to you and yours ( You’ll be surprised at the joyful feelings and laughter which emerges as we consider what to say!)
Remove blocks to communication with those you love
Create new, more meaningful ways to express yourself and manage your emotions during challenging times and everyday life
enhance your self-awareness and leave you feeling more peaceful and complete
Note: You can send your letters now, or keep them for the future and update them once or twice a year (if you are inspired to do so). This workshop is also helpful if you’d like to feel peace and gratitude for those who have passed or reach out to estranged or close friends or family members.
Fee - $75.00
Thursdays 7 - 8:30 PM Central Time, September 24, 2020 & October 1, 2020
OR
Sundays 12 Noon to 1:30 PM Central Time September 13, 2020 & September 20, 2020
Class sizes are limited to 8 participants. Please indicate your preference for Thursday or Sunday Sessions in the registration/contact link below. You will receive a payment link and a zoom registration link by email within 24 hours.
If the class is full, we will offer an alternative session for you to consider.
If you need to make payment arrangements or receive a tuition scholarship, please just send Mary your request in the message portion of the register/contact here link.
Thank you so much!
Several years back, my dear friend died from an overdose. The guilt I felt over not seeing her in the last years of her life was almost impossible to handle. Then her best friend shared a letter my friend left behind.
The letter started with the classic line, “If you are reading this, it means I am gone.”
In this letter, my friend shared her belief that love was all that mattered and that everything else was just an illusion. She offered reassurance about her continued presence:
“I am with you now, as you read this letter. If you take a moment and feel your heart, you’ll see that I am still with you. I will always be right here in your heart. My pain is gone, but I am still with you.
I am waiting with open arms to see you when your time comes. In the eyes of the angels, we are all forever beautiful and they welcome all of us with open loving arms.”
She instructed her friends to enjoy a sailboat ride in the Caribbean and leave her ashes in “blissful waves”. Then she told us to clean her place before anyone saw the mess and to fix her makeup and paint her nails if we insisted on an open casket.
Hearing her wicked sense of humor in my mind after I thought I would never hear another joke from her felt like soul-healing balm. She wrote about friends like me, loved ones she hadn’t seen lately-
“I know you loved me through and through. No matter what, we have always been and will always be connected in the deepest. I love you.”
It’s hard to convey the impact of this letter. I was moved to tears and laughter; Memories began to fill my heart with joy and absolution.
Just imagine how you might feel if you had a letter reassuring you that all was well, that your parent was completely happy and satisfied with the way you lived your life.
This is just a small example of the powerful ways words transform life experiences. For a moment, imagine your spouse reading about your appreciation for a small act of kindness, an estranged relative learning that you still felt close to them, an adult child afflicted with addiction or other issues feeling reassured and inspired by forgiveness and faith, or your best friend smiling about a funny moment you shared.
I want to help you write love letters so your family and friends can feel reassured by your love and appreciation even as they move through the often difficult stages of grief.
PS Many people end up sending their letters now, and some update them once or twice a year. This is a transformative, reliable, lasting healing process for the letter writer whether you are writng as a legacy or as a healing process now.
I would be honored by your presence during this journey to the center of our lives. I am in awe of the profound power of love and appreciation, expressed. - Mary Gustafson