Dear Friend,

I have written you a letter I will call a “Love Note”. I am writing this note because I am trying to get better at doing Love and I want to help other people see it and learn about its availability to them. I will write and send a “Love Note” like this one to a different person each day for thirty days in an effort to learn how to do Love better and to grow closer to the original “giver of Love”, God himself. In each note I will focus on my personal experiences with Love and will not give advice, direction, or suggestions. For this reason, my “Love Note” will always go to someone I’ve never net and know nothing about. I chose you at random to get this note, but I am certain that what I write will have meaning to you.

Today has been an average day so far but the week leading up to this day has been nothing less than a crazy blur. Last week my husband learned that his father’s battle with kidney cancer is taking a big toll on him and it’s time for my husband to go see him before it is too late. He’s not in the hospital or hospice or anything like that, he’s just not doing well. This would be difficult in any circumstance, but we have been living in Costa Rica for about nine months and we are not planning to leave for another three weeks. Thus, the blur begins. What was really difficult for me was the fact that I would have to live without my best friend for that time. We are kind of like missionaries so buying an extra ticket to fly back to the states is in a word, difficult. So, I had to stay behind to keep up our responsibilities here so he could go visit with his Dad. In my heart, I wanted him to go, but at the same time, I wanted him to stay. What does this say about love you might ask? In my life, I have learned that real love is best displayed through sacrifice. My happiness, comfort, wants, and needs will always be secondary to what is necessary for someone I love. That is how love is “done”, or shown. He has been gone for almost a week now and I am doing ok. I think I always knew I would be, after the crazy blur slowed down.

I’m not sure why this could be a help to you, but I will assume it was for a reason and I hope it brightened your day. Of all the people I might have mailed this “Love Note” to, it was your name and address I was led to choose. Even though your name was picked at random, I am certain it wasn’t by chance.