In the midst  of the holiday season, there are many ways to bring a smile to someone’s face. ‘Tis the season to give back and show others some love. I recently learned of a way to express your love for someone that is new and special. This past week in a club meeting, my captain made us all sit and write someone a letter for 5 minutes. The letter needed to be addressed to someone that inspired us or someone we were thankful for. We had to write them a letter and express our gratitude or explain the positive impact they had on our lives. I wrote a letter to my grandfather. Sadly, I don’t have much time left with him and I wanted to write down a few ways that he has helped shaped me as a person. Once I started writing it was difficult to stop. I found that I had so much I wanted to say. After we wrote our letter, my captain asked us to check in on ourselves. Did it make us feel better? Did we feel a closer connection with that person? And for me, personally, the answer was yes. Afterwards, she asked us to call them and read them the letter. I suddenly was very nervous, but I picked up my phone and called my grandpa. Sadly, it was late and he was already asleep. However, I left my letter in a voicemail and the next day I got a very tearful call back. I found many benefits come from this one act of reflection. It was a

beneficial act not only for my grandfather but also for myself. Studies show that happiness increases in the person writing the letter and receiving the letter. It also strengthens the relationship. Often times we think that the people we love know that we love them, but sometimes they don’t. Sometimes they don’t know how much we care about them. Since it is the season of giving, it’s important to tell people how much we care about them. So when you have a moment, call your mom out of the blue and tell her you appreciate her. In the end, it will strengthen your relationship and put you into an overall better mood. By strengthening your relationships you will be able to feel more stable and supported by those around you, which is a difficult thing to find freshman year of college.

I hope that you all continue to put in the time and the effort for yourself, especially over this holiday season!