Monday began quietly, with a trace of candle wax still lingering in the air from Sunday’s church service. On the board, Ms. Larsen had written: “Mission #08 – Gratitude in words.” Underneath, she’d added: Write a letter to someone you appreciate. Tell them why.
The room fell into thoughtful silence. This task didn’t involve glitter, tape, or teamwork — just paper, pencils, and sincerity. Some students began writing right away, their pencils moving fast. Others hesitated, unsure how to begin. Emma chewed her pencil for a while before starting, “Dear Mom, I don’t say thank you enough for everything you do…”
Jonas stared at his page for several minutes. Then he began, slowly but steadily: “Dear Dad, I know we argue a lot, but I still look up to you.” He stopped once or twice, erasing a few words, then decided to keep them. Ida wrote to her older sister, thanking her for always listening. Others wrote to teachers, grandparents, or even a best friend.
By the end of the lesson, the room felt different — softer somehow. Ms. Larsen gathered the letters that students wanted her to deliver, promising to post them that afternoon. “Words are gifts,” she said quietly. “And the right ones can last longer than any present.”
That evening, across the small town, parents and siblings opened envelopes written in uneven handwriting — each one a small miracle of honesty, wrapped not in paper, but in love.
