I have a sort of pen pal that I exchange texts with once a week. This friend is a neighbor and I see her often, but there is something special about those Saturday check-in texts. For years we have shared a range of ideas, from little experiences to really important milestones.
Here is something that I wrote to my pen pal recently. This is an example of how sharing a story in writing helped me find a lesson from the experience and a flaw in my thinking.
Normally, when I talk to homeschool moms, they are not interested in anything I have to offer, including books that I am willing to give away. I pulled many homeschool books from my shelves this month to donate to DI, but decided to send photos of the books to some homeschool friends first. Within seconds, some claimed books via text, and within an hour, most of them were collected from the house. It took my breath away to see so many of my treasures leave the house, but it felt good to see that they will be appreciated in their new homes. The lesson for me is that the photos of the books, sent via text, were more effective than an open invitation to come take some books anytime. It seems obvious now, but I spent a lot of time thinking people weren’t interested. They just needed details and a deadline.
