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So what's a life letter? A life letter is a written expression of what matters most that can be shared with loved ones today and over time as well as one's community. Your family history, your precious memories, your values that are most important to you and your wishes. The life letter is inspired by the ancient practice of ethical wills and legacy letters. This is a 3,500-year-old tradition that began with fathers passing on wisdom to their sons to carry into the next generation. In the Middle Ages, this became a written form, and there are many powerful examples of ethical wills and legacy letters written over the centuries. The life letter can be two pages, it can be 10 pages, it can even be a little bit more. It can be handwritten, it can be typed, it can be spoken. It is not, however, meant to be your entire life story. It's not your autobiography. It is a much more distilled reflection of what really matters most to you.

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So what's a life letter? // A life letter is a written expression / of what matters / most that can be shared with loved ones today / and over time as well as one's community. // Your family history, / your precious memories, / your values that are most important to you and your wishes. // The life letter / is inspired by the ancient practice of ethical wills / and legacy letters. // This is a / 3,500-year-old / tradition that began / with fathers / passing on wisdom / to their sons to carry into the next generation. // In the Middle Ages, / this became a written form, / and there are many / powerful examples of ethical wills and legacy letters written over the centuries. // The life letter can be two pages, / it can be 10 pages, / it can even be / a little bit more. // It can be handwritten, / it can be typed, / it can be spoken. // It is not, however, meant to be / your entire / life story. // It's not your autobiography. // It is a much more distilled / reflection of what really matters most / to you. //

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It can also be used as a way to clarify legal estate documents. Think of the will or a trust as everything you want your loved ones to have, whereas a life letter is about everything you want them to know. And there's another difference, too. A will is shared after a death. Ideally, the life letter should be shared during one's lifetime. So many of us wish we knew more about the people who came before us, just like my children. When you share your treasured stories, your wishes for the future, your history, you're making it possible so that someday a grandchild, or a great-grandchild, or someone from your community, your church, your synagogue, your mosque, your birdwatching group has answers to questions about your life, because your life matters, your story matters.

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It can also be used / as a way to clarify / legal estate documents. // Think of the will / or a trust / as everything you want your loved ones to have, / whereas a life letter / is about everything you want them to know. // And there's another difference, / too. // A will is shared after a death. // Ideally, / the life letter should be shared / during one's / lifetime. // So / many of us / wish we knew more / about the people who came before us, / just like my children. // When you share your treasured stories, / your wishes for the future, / your history, / you're making it possible so that someday a grandchild, / or a great-grandchild, / or someone from your community, / your church, / your synagogue, / your mosque, / your birdwatching group / has answers to questions about your life, / because your life matters, / your story matters. //