Dragonfly Challenge I : Letters From The Heart

And what, you ask, is a Dragonfly Challenge? Well, it's simple. It's a challenge that I plan to be issuing periodically here on the Scrampin' Mama blog (monthly or bimonthly, depending) that is meant to encourage you to do something nice for someone else. Something unexpected. Something that will make their day. Each challenge will be different. I'm going to do my best to keep the challenges as user-friendly as possible, meaning that stampers and non-stampers alike should be able to complete them. You needn't be a crafter to pull these off! I will try to add ideas for ways my stamping friends could use their talents to enhance their results, but knowing those stampers well I'm guessing they could figure that part out all on their own!

Why a dragonfly? Because that has become a symbol for my family to remind us that Henry is still with us, always watching over us. There is a poem called the "Legend of the Dragonfly" that talks about what happens to the dragonfly as it morphs from grub into a beautiful creature. The poem ends by saying (and I am paraphrasing here) that just because we cannot see our loved ones is no proof that they cease to exist. That warms my heart. I have wanted to do something in Henry's name for some time. I had talked about a card ministry in previous posts, and have had other ideas as well, but this is the one that stuck. I hope you'll join me, and encourage your friends to do so as well.

What's in it for you? Boat loads of warm fuzzies. *wink*

Our first challenge is "Letters From The Heart" as the title of this post indicates. I challenge you to take time this month to hand write a letter to someone you care about or are grateful for and let them know it. So often we think wonderful things about people but don't take the time to tell them exactly how we are feeling. I challenge you to make time. Life, my friends, is fragile. You don't know how long you've got, so make the most of the time you have.

I'm guessing you are already thinking about a person to write your letter to, but in case you're drawing a blank, here are some ideas:

• Your Significant Other, Parent, Grandparent, or Sibling
• A friend or neighbor
• A member of the clergy
• A current or former teacher
• A serviceman (or woman) or veteran
• A caretaker for you or a family member

Remember, this is a hand-written letter, not an e-mail! If you are a stamper and would like to take it one step further, you could create your own decorative paper by stamping a border on the page, or stamp a card to send the letter with.

Additionally, I challenge you to step outside of your comfort zone with this one. If you're like me, you've probably thought of a handful of different people you could send something to. Maybe one of those people on the list you're kind of mentally scratching off because exposing your heart to them isn't something you normally do, or you feel embarassed doing so. I encourage you to try to find it in your heart to write *that* letter, because often those are the people who need it the most. I'll be happy with any kind of participation though, so I'm not going to be a stickler on this point. ;~)
Please comment and let me know if you are participating. I'd love for these challenges to grow each time, so I'd really like to see who's in. And spread the word, please! Tell your friends, share it on facebook, challenge your family to do the same! Remember that old saying... A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.
Blessings,