Want to shock your parents?

Dear Readers,

Emily here. As I was reading my trusty copy of February's ec, I came across the article "What I Wish You Knew: A parent's prayer." If you haven't read those two letters yet (on pages 16-18), you should! And that article got me thinking . . .

I know that some of you may not speak much at all with your parents. And when you do, it's probably more about what time you have to be at practice, how much homework you have, who was a jerk to you that day, and what you want for supper. Even for those of you who do communicate well and frequently with your parents, I believe the permanence of what I'm about to suggest will be appreciated by your mom and dad. So here goes.

Write your parents a letter. Take some time to share your feelings. You can write one letter to each parent or write one to them both. We'll even give you permission to rip off the name of our article and title your letter "What I Wish You Knew." Tell them why you're thankful for them, ask them for forgiveness for something you've done, explain your actions in a situation that they misunderstood, tell them you love them and why—all those things that you wish you were better at/more frequent in saying. You don't have to mail it or hand-write it with a fountain pen. You should just leave it where they can find it (like on their bed, on top of their Bible(s), propped up against the coffee pot, etc.).

If you're like me, you get your feelings and thoughts out better when you write (or type) them. (And if you're not a word person, then your letter will be all-the-more appreciated by your parents!) But here's a tip from a person who writes and edits for a living: once you've written your letter, leave it alone for a few hours (I call this "letting it 'marinate.'") Then come back to it and edit it if necessary.

This is an opportunity for you to say those things you need to say in a form that your parents can keep and pull out when they need reminding of what a good son or daughter you are and how blessed they are to be your parents. And we think you just might enjoy the new level of understanding between you and your parents that could result from you taking the time to write them a letter.

Let us know how it goes by leaving a comment!