Dear Sir or Ma'am,
Sorry to have taken so long to post this letter. It's been months and I'm only just now getting to it. I just want to say thank you. I certainly wasn't expecting to find the bike that morning when I took out the trash. Believe it or not, it was actually an answer to prayer. I know the display doesn't work, and the dear thing is on it's last legs, but when I sit down and pedal, the pedals move, and that's all I really need.
I'd been looking for a way to exercise that would be sustainable, and I was praying that the Lord would show me the way. I had actually considered a stationary bike, but rejected all exercise equipment on the grounds that they so often end up disused or storage space. But for the price you offered - free- it didn't matter if I could make a go of it, because if it broke, or I proved unequal to the challenge, I could just put it back where I found it. I hauled it into the house and deliberately exercised for the first time in over a year.
I started out with 15 minutes, and to be honest, I'm still only at 20, but I've increased the tension until I'm finally at settings 13 and 15! I've got to be honest though, it is going to be a long time at 15 before I attempt 30 minutes.
And I am flagging a little bit, I'm missing days more frequently, but I haven't given up yet. Even if I do though, I wanted to be sure to thank you, because you have helped me work toward being a healthier, fitter person. Thank you for that.
Sincerely,
Karyn
17 June 2015
To the mother of the tweenager whom I got into a fight with at Chick-fil-A
Dear Ma'am,
First of all, I'd like to say you handled it well. I appreciate you not calling names or yelling obscenities. Thank you for restricting yourself to asserting that your kids were doing just fine and saying I thought I owned the place.
Second, I'd like to apologize for hurting your daughter's feelings, and ruffling your maternal feathers.
Third, I would like to explain my position. The sign says, "No climbing on the outside of the equipment." This is for safety reasons, and I happen to think it's a pretty darn good rule. Which is why any time my daughters try to climb on it they are setting themselves up for a time-out. I also believe that there is nothing wrong with asking our nation's youth to behave and follow the rules.
There is no really good way to tell someone that they're breaking the rules, and you expect them to stop, but I gave it a try anyways. I kept my tone polite, and I tried to maintain even a modicum of a smile as I asked your daughter and her recruits repeatedly to climb down, even as your daughter ushered them on quietly from the sidelines. In case you're wondering, what I said to your daughter and her little sister that time that broke the camel's back was something like:
"Stop trying to break the rules, you're young ladies- act like it and stop trying to be obnoxious. Yes, I know you're kids. And you get to follow the rules just like everybody else. Act like young ladies. If you keep climbing on the equipment I will ask one of the employees to remove you from the play area."
You and she are probably wondering, "What's the big deal? You aren't the mom, and you aren't the one who'll be responsible for any bills in the event of a medical mishap."
That's true - this time. Can't you see that your beautiful young daughter is one of the "big kids" that little kids, like my girls, watch so carefully? After your daughter and her friends and loved ones set to work I had to warn my daughters repeatedly that they are not permitted to climb on the outside of the equipment. All I asked of your daughter is that she stop setting a poor example for mine.
So I'm sorry that I ruined your trip to Chick-fil-A. Especially on a nasty, wet, gray, dismal day like today. I hope your next trip there is pleasant and uneventful. And I hope that your daughter refrains from climbing on the play equipment.
Sincerely,
Karyn
First of all, I'd like to say you handled it well. I appreciate you not calling names or yelling obscenities. Thank you for restricting yourself to asserting that your kids were doing just fine and saying I thought I owned the place.
Second, I'd like to apologize for hurting your daughter's feelings, and ruffling your maternal feathers.
Third, I would like to explain my position. The sign says, "No climbing on the outside of the equipment." This is for safety reasons, and I happen to think it's a pretty darn good rule. Which is why any time my daughters try to climb on it they are setting themselves up for a time-out. I also believe that there is nothing wrong with asking our nation's youth to behave and follow the rules.
There is no really good way to tell someone that they're breaking the rules, and you expect them to stop, but I gave it a try anyways. I kept my tone polite, and I tried to maintain even a modicum of a smile as I asked your daughter and her recruits repeatedly to climb down, even as your daughter ushered them on quietly from the sidelines. In case you're wondering, what I said to your daughter and her little sister that time that broke the camel's back was something like:
"Stop trying to break the rules, you're young ladies- act like it and stop trying to be obnoxious. Yes, I know you're kids. And you get to follow the rules just like everybody else. Act like young ladies. If you keep climbing on the equipment I will ask one of the employees to remove you from the play area."
You and she are probably wondering, "What's the big deal? You aren't the mom, and you aren't the one who'll be responsible for any bills in the event of a medical mishap."
That's true - this time. Can't you see that your beautiful young daughter is one of the "big kids" that little kids, like my girls, watch so carefully? After your daughter and her friends and loved ones set to work I had to warn my daughters repeatedly that they are not permitted to climb on the outside of the equipment. All I asked of your daughter is that she stop setting a poor example for mine.
So I'm sorry that I ruined your trip to Chick-fil-A. Especially on a nasty, wet, gray, dismal day like today. I hope your next trip there is pleasant and uneventful. And I hope that your daughter refrains from climbing on the play equipment.
Sincerely,
Karyn
08 May 2015
To the Person Who Stole My Van
Dear Van Thief,
I wish you hadn't taken my van.
I keep telling myself that I forgive you, and then something comes up, and I realize that I still have hard feelings. Usually this is because I'll be wanting something I left in the van. Whatever prompted you to take a van that messy? Puked on, peed on car seats, dirty clothes, food wrappers, random fruit snacks? Then add all the toys, and left shoes. Mine was a van that was well-loved, but not well-cared for. I'm actually embarrassed that you saw all that mess. I would say, if I'd known you were coming I would have cleaned, but let's be honest, if I'd known you were coming I would have stayed home from church and you'd have stolen someone else's car from the parking lot.
I want you to know that you stole my dream car. People thought I should be excited about getting a new car - yes, the insurance declared it a loss - but Buddy, that was my new dream car. It fit my family just right, came at the right price, a/c that worked great, I even loved the color.
I also want you to know that you caused some financial hardship. You can't just take people's cars and expect them to pop on over to the dealership chuckling indulgently about what a naughty boy (or girl) you've been, and oh, isn't it lucky that we're independently wealthy and can fix this up right away. Even after the insurance payment, what you did caused debt and stress. I've asked myself if you justify your decisions by focusing on your own financial hardships. Buddy, if you're in a tough spot, I'm sorry. I truly am. But your lack of cow didn't entitle you to mine.
I want you to know that you didn't ruin Christmas. I thought for a few minutes you had, taking the van the Sabbath before Christmas like that, but then I realized there wasn't any way for you or anybody else to ruin Christmas, because Christ has already Atoned for our sins (even you taking the van) and made it possible for each of us to return to live with our Father in Heaven. It's already done, and nobody can take that away from us.
I want you to know I sort of forgive you. I say sort of, because I still get pretty irked about the whole thing. There were belongings in there that I miss but don't have the funds or priority to replace. And the next time we go on a road trip, we're not going to have any leg room or personal space - especially the three babies in the back. And if you hadn't done it, we'd have been out of debt much sooner, and had that much more in savings. I say I forgive you, because I have the desire to be a good Christian, and because I want the forgiveness of God extended to me for my shortcomings. I say I forgive you because it's the right thing to do. So until I can learn to truly forgive, I want to offer you my verbal (and written) forgiveness.
And if there were two things I would thank you for, it would be these: 1. Thank you, from the bottom of my soul, for taking the van when we weren't in it. and 2. Thank you for leaving the bike and the girls' new coats when you ditched the van. I didn't have the money to replace them.
Sincerely,
Karyn
I wish you hadn't taken my van.
I keep telling myself that I forgive you, and then something comes up, and I realize that I still have hard feelings. Usually this is because I'll be wanting something I left in the van. Whatever prompted you to take a van that messy? Puked on, peed on car seats, dirty clothes, food wrappers, random fruit snacks? Then add all the toys, and left shoes. Mine was a van that was well-loved, but not well-cared for. I'm actually embarrassed that you saw all that mess. I would say, if I'd known you were coming I would have cleaned, but let's be honest, if I'd known you were coming I would have stayed home from church and you'd have stolen someone else's car from the parking lot.
I want you to know that you stole my dream car. People thought I should be excited about getting a new car - yes, the insurance declared it a loss - but Buddy, that was my new dream car. It fit my family just right, came at the right price, a/c that worked great, I even loved the color.
I also want you to know that you caused some financial hardship. You can't just take people's cars and expect them to pop on over to the dealership chuckling indulgently about what a naughty boy (or girl) you've been, and oh, isn't it lucky that we're independently wealthy and can fix this up right away. Even after the insurance payment, what you did caused debt and stress. I've asked myself if you justify your decisions by focusing on your own financial hardships. Buddy, if you're in a tough spot, I'm sorry. I truly am. But your lack of cow didn't entitle you to mine.
I want you to know that you didn't ruin Christmas. I thought for a few minutes you had, taking the van the Sabbath before Christmas like that, but then I realized there wasn't any way for you or anybody else to ruin Christmas, because Christ has already Atoned for our sins (even you taking the van) and made it possible for each of us to return to live with our Father in Heaven. It's already done, and nobody can take that away from us.
I want you to know I sort of forgive you. I say sort of, because I still get pretty irked about the whole thing. There were belongings in there that I miss but don't have the funds or priority to replace. And the next time we go on a road trip, we're not going to have any leg room or personal space - especially the three babies in the back. And if you hadn't done it, we'd have been out of debt much sooner, and had that much more in savings. I say I forgive you, because I have the desire to be a good Christian, and because I want the forgiveness of God extended to me for my shortcomings. I say I forgive you because it's the right thing to do. So until I can learn to truly forgive, I want to offer you my verbal (and written) forgiveness.
And if there were two things I would thank you for, it would be these: 1. Thank you, from the bottom of my soul, for taking the van when we weren't in it. and 2. Thank you for leaving the bike and the girls' new coats when you ditched the van. I didn't have the money to replace them.
Sincerely,
Karyn
Blog Name and Address
Dear Steve, Margarita, and Rohan,
This isn't actually the letter I was planning on starting with, but I think I'll start here anyway.
Steve,
I'm sorry I stole your blog name. I tried for the address as well, which is how I discovered that you exist. I didn't really read much on your blog, but I wish you well in the endeavor.
Margarita,
Sorry about your break-up.
Rohan,
I actually read about 1 and 1/2 of your posts. Your writing style is humorous, and I really see it going two ways: either A) You provide a moment of laughter in the day of someone who could probably use it. or B) Your letters are a bane to working professionals who waste time trying to solve your problem in those little moments before they realized they've been pranked.
To all,
I sat down to start a blog this morning and had to try five times before I could get an address, well, actually six. This reinforces my practice of never fully forming ideas. I just come up with half an idea, say, "I bet somebody else has already thought of this," and I google it. I am seldom wrong. It works especially well on holiday entertaining, dining and decorating ideas.
The very fact that so many of our search queries return relevant results is indicative of the fact that we as a human race are in this boat together. Lots of us want to know how to pull off a bunny diving into a cupcake for Easter dinner. Lots of us want to know when to take our newborn to the doctor with a fever, and how can we tell when a baby that small has an earache? There are so many of us wondering when Disney is going to release Lilo and Stitch the Series on DVD, or start distributing the next season of the Muppets, that we have whole sites dedicated to just talking about it. By the way, I'm waiting for the DVD release of the Muppets Hey, Cinderella! Such a good show.
My husband and I do seem to be sort of alone in waiting for Marblehead Manor to come to DVD. It's such a funny show, how could it fail to make it to season 2? Oh, well. We can't all be the same. Snowflakes, right?
Please don't worry that I'm trying to steal your thunder. I expect this blog to have three readers: two of my sisters, and my husband. We'll make it four, because I expect my mother will read it at least once.
Sincerely,
Karyn
This isn't actually the letter I was planning on starting with, but I think I'll start here anyway.
Steve,
I'm sorry I stole your blog name. I tried for the address as well, which is how I discovered that you exist. I didn't really read much on your blog, but I wish you well in the endeavor.
Margarita,
Sorry about your break-up.
Rohan,
I actually read about 1 and 1/2 of your posts. Your writing style is humorous, and I really see it going two ways: either A) You provide a moment of laughter in the day of someone who could probably use it. or B) Your letters are a bane to working professionals who waste time trying to solve your problem in those little moments before they realized they've been pranked.
To all,
I sat down to start a blog this morning and had to try five times before I could get an address, well, actually six. This reinforces my practice of never fully forming ideas. I just come up with half an idea, say, "I bet somebody else has already thought of this," and I google it. I am seldom wrong. It works especially well on holiday entertaining, dining and decorating ideas.
The very fact that so many of our search queries return relevant results is indicative of the fact that we as a human race are in this boat together. Lots of us want to know how to pull off a bunny diving into a cupcake for Easter dinner. Lots of us want to know when to take our newborn to the doctor with a fever, and how can we tell when a baby that small has an earache? There are so many of us wondering when Disney is going to release Lilo and Stitch the Series on DVD, or start distributing the next season of the Muppets, that we have whole sites dedicated to just talking about it. By the way, I'm waiting for the DVD release of the Muppets Hey, Cinderella! Such a good show.
My husband and I do seem to be sort of alone in waiting for Marblehead Manor to come to DVD. It's such a funny show, how could it fail to make it to season 2? Oh, well. We can't all be the same. Snowflakes, right?
Please don't worry that I'm trying to steal your thunder. I expect this blog to have three readers: two of my sisters, and my husband. We'll make it four, because I expect my mother will read it at least once.
Sincerely,
Karyn
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