Friday, March 5, 2010

Article #92 Dear John/Jane Letters

The letter generally started out with…Dear Elder or Sister (fill in the blank),

I hope your mission is going well. I’ve been very busy so I haven’t written for awhile. It’s been very difficult for me since you left, I’ve been so lonely, but I found a new friend who is so understanding because (choose: he or she) has also served a mission and knows how difficult it is to be separated from loved ones. We’ve had many long discussions. I wish you were here by my side so I could see your face while I explain all the changes that have happened in my life since you left.

Well, over time this new person and I have become really special friends. (Choose: He or She) seems to understand exactly how I feel, having gone through the separation from loved ones while a missionary. A special friendship has developed between us. That brings me to why I’m writing this letter dear (choose: first name of missionary, hopefully it’s not John or Jane.)

I know we had agreed for me to wait for you until after your mission before taking any major steps forward in my life but (choose one or more: I’m not getting any younger and my parents are really pressuring me to move on with my life or I’m near graduation and not really interested in graduate school or I’ve decided not to go on a mission and wait for you.) So (choose one or more: I’ve decided to date other people just to be sure of our relationship or I’ve fallen in love and we will be getting married soon or we got married last week.)

Have a great mission and remember (choose one or more: how much I love you and always will or that all your friends and family are praying for your success or I’ll always remember how special you were to me.) Tell your companion that (choose one or more: I unfortunately won’t be sending any more care packages filled with my special chocolate chip cookies or you both need to give your mission work your full attention without any distractions or worries from home or everything is okay at home.)

Thanks for the time, love and special experiences we have shared together and may you be blessed for the rest of your life.

Love always,

(Sign your name)

6 comments:

  1. Awe; dear John letter.
    I wrote to a soldier that I met the day before he left for basic training durning the Viet Nam war. He asked me if he could write to me and so we corresponded for about a year.
    I had already met my husband and was in love but he seemed like he needed someone to miss him.
    Anyway, after the year, we stopped writing because he wanted more.
    Your post brought back a lot of memories.
    BTW...he came home from Nam safely!

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  2. I guess we've all had to write some kind of Dear John, Dear Jane letter. It's the worst kind of letter to have to write.

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  3. I guess it's better than not telling them at all.
    I've never had this experience, but then I've never had many emotional entanglements in my simple life.

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  4. I don't know why but i couldn't stop myself from smiling while reading this.
    Never shared any such experience though.Have a very happy weekend .

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  5. I have been very fortunate in that I never received such a letter! I have heard sad stories though about such things.

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  6. Interesting learning about the missionary aspect of your faith...

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