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November Photo & Writing Challenge – Day 5

Photo Prompt: A Handwritten Note

Writing Prompt: When did someone’s words make a difference in your life?

It’s funny how something as simple as a handwritten note can become one of your most treasured possessions.

We live in a world where everything is digital. Text messages, emails, social media posts. We communicate constantly, but there’s something different about seeing someone’s actual handwriting.

The way they form their letters. The little imperfections. The fact that they took a moment out of their day to physically write something just for you.

For today’s writing challenge, I couldn’t narrow it down to just one handwritten note. There are three that immediately came to mind, and each holds a very special place in my heart.

A Love Letter Hidden in My Suitcase

The first is a handwritten letter from my husband.

When we first met in person, after getting to know each other from a distance, he managed to sneak a handwritten letter into my suitcase before I left.

I had absolutely no idea it was there.

Finding that letter was one of the sweetest surprises. Here was this man I had fallen in love with, putting his feelings into words and leaving me something I could take home.

It wasn’t some expensive gift or grand romantic gesture. It was a piece of paper filled with love.

And sometimes, those are the gestures that mean the most.

Looking back now, knowing everything we’ve experienced together and that we’re married, that letter represents the beginning of something truly beautiful.

I’ll always treasure it.

A Christmas Ornament That Means More Than Words

The second handwritten note is one that makes me emotional just thinking about it.

My mom used to give me a Christmas ornament every year after I moved out. It was our little tradition. Each year, I’d have something new to add to my Christmas tree.

In 2018, she gave me an ornament with a handwritten message on the back.

At the time, it was just another sweet gift from Mom. Something I’d hang on the tree and enjoy during the holidays.

I had no idea how much that little ornament would eventually mean to me.

My mom passed away in 2020.

And suddenly, something as simple as her handwriting became priceless.

Seeing her write my name. Seeing the year 2018. Remembering a Christmas when she was still here.

It’s amazing how an ordinary object can become a doorway to memories you wish you could step back into, even for just a moment.

I can’t get another handwritten Christmas ornament from her. I can’t call her and tell her how much I love it.

But I can hold this one.

I can look at her handwriting and remember.

And every Christmas, when that ornament comes out, a little piece of her is still decorating my tree.

A Mother’s Day Gift That Made Me Feel Like a Mom

The third handwritten keepsake is from my stepson, Chase.

Two years ago, he gave me a handmade ornament for Mother’s Day.

On the front is a little blue flower with the words “Happy Mother’s Day!” and on the back, his handwritten name and mine.

It might look like a simple children’s craft project to someone else.

But to me? It means the world.

Being a stepmom is complicated sometimes.

There are moments when I struggle with feeling like I’m not a “real mom.” Moments when I’m unsure where I fit or whether the love and effort I put into being a stepparent are truly seen.

And then there’s this little ornament.

Something handmade, given to me on Mother’s Day.

A day that can sometimes feel a little complicated when you’re a stepmom.

That gift made me feel included. Appreciated. Loved.

For a moment, I didn’t have to question my place.

I was simply someone special enough to receive a Mother’s Day gift.

And I will cherish that little blue flower forever.

Sometimes the Smallest Things Hold the Biggest Feelings

Three handwritten keepsakes.

One from the man I married.

One from the mother I miss every single day.

And one from a little boy who made me feel like I belonged.

Three completely different moments in my life, but all connected by something so simple: someone taking the time to make me feel loved.

I think that’s what makes handwritten notes so powerful.

We don’t always realize how much our words mean to someone else. We don’t know which little messages they’ll hold onto, which cards they’ll save, or which seemingly ordinary gifts will become irreplaceable.

Sometimes the things that mean the most aren’t the expensive presents or elaborate surprises.

Sometimes they’re a letter tucked into a suitcase, a date written on the back of a Christmas ornament, or a child’s handwriting on a Mother’s Day craft.

And sometimes, years later, those little pieces of handwriting become some of the most valuable things we own.

Because the handwriting may be simple, but the love behind it is anything but.

A Little Question for You

Do you have a handwritten letter, card, or note that you’ve held onto for years?

Maybe it’s from someone you love, someone you’ve lost, or someone who made you feel special when you needed it most.

I’d love to hear about it.

Until next time,

Create the magic!

LexTalk