Okay, so, Christmas is coming, and I was totally stressing about what to get my boyfriend, Mark. You know, the usual gift anxiety! So, I decided to ditch the store-bought stuff and go for something more personal. A Christmas letter, but not just any letter β a heartfelt, romantic, makes-him-cry-a-little kinda letter!
First things first, I needed inspiration. I dug through old cards and letters we’d exchanged, just to get a feel for my writing style when I’m being all sappy. Turns out, I’m a lot cheesier than I thought! π
Brainstorming time! I grabbed a notebook and started jotting down everything I love about Mark. Silly things, serious things, inside jokes β the whole shebang. I thought about:
- The first time we met (awkward, hilarious, destined!)
- Our favorite memories together (road trips, movie nights, that time we tried to bake a cake and it exploded)
- His qualities that I admire (his kindness, his humor, his unwavering support)
- My hopes for our future (more adventures, more laughter, more us)
Okay, with a mountain of notes, it was time to actually start writing. I didn’t want it to be a boring list, so I tried to weave in stories and anecdotes. Like, instead of just saying “I love your sense of humor,” I wrote about the time he made me laugh so hard I snorted coffee out of my nose. You know, real stuff!
I went through, like, five drafts. Seriously. Iβd write a paragraph, hate it, rewrite it. I read it aloud to my cat (who was, admittedly, not very impressed). It was tough to get the tone right β I wanted it to be romantic but not cheesy, sincere but not overly dramatic. Big challenge!
The Structure: I ended up going with a pretty simple structure:
- A little intro about how much he means to me.
- A trip down memory lane, highlighting some of our best moments.
- A section dedicated to all the things I love and appreciate about him.
- My hopes and dreams for our future together.
- A sweet and simple closing.
Making it look pretty! I didn’t just want to print it out on plain paper. I found some nice stationery with a subtle Christmas design. Then, instead of printing, I decided to handwrite it. It took forever, my hand cramped, but it felt so much more personal. And of course, I added a little spritz of my perfume. π
Finally, I sealed it with a wax seal (okay, I got a little fancy there, but it was Christmas!). I tucked the letter into a nice envelope and added a small, simple gift β his favorite candy. (Itβs the little touches, right?)
The big reveal! I gave him the letter on Christmas morning. He read it aloud (which was both sweet and mortifying!), and yes, he teared up a little! He said it was the most thoughtful gift he’d ever received. Mission accomplished! π
Honestly, it was way more work than buying a generic gift card, but seeing his reaction made it all worth it. And you know what? I think writing the letter actually made me appreciate him even more. It was a great way to reflect on our relationship and express my feelings. I highly recommend it!
