This exercise was adapted from chapter four of The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.
PART ONE
Imagine yourself 20 years from now. How old would you be? Write a letter to yourself from your future self. What would she want you to know?
Rhonda, we are loved. We are cherished. We are wanted. We are His. Thank you for helping me live my best life for the last 20 years. Without our hard work and acceptance of God’s love and forgiveness, our life most likely would have looked differently. I am so grateful that at now 82 years old, we are at peace.
Remember eating mud pies, how yummy we thought they were. Those “nuts” rocks were a little hard didn’t you think? Our favorite naughty memory was sitting on granny’s lap and listening to other people’s conversation while on the stool in the hall way. That was the only place the telephone was connected in the house so there we sat for hours listening on that party line. We didn’t understand much of what they were saying on the other end but I do remember our granny thinking it was funny and telling us to hush, so it had to be naughty. Oh, and ghost stories with Aunt Valley in the upstairs bedroom at Grandmaw and Grandpaws and laying our head on grandmaw’s lap in the glider on the front porch with the smell of Hydrangeas in the air. I can say that when we’d put curlers in grandpaw’s hair, that was funny but cleaning out from between his toes after a hard day in the fields….. not so much. Oh to be young again.
Nope, we don’t want to do that. Way too many lessons to learn and pain to work through in those pre-teen and teen years. The shame that followed us everywhere has now been lifted away. We can thank our Lord Jesus for that. The best years were our elementary years before our innocence was stripped away from us. But we persevered through and still laughed and played, catching crawdads and snakes in the creek bed and of course artistic swimming in the above ground pool at Tina’s. Do you remember that? So fun!
Those young adult and newly married years were the toughest. God had great plans for us, Yes He did but the paths that we chose and those that were chose for us were not the easiest. Yet we raised 2 great men and was blessed with a man that loved big. And those grandkids! From the smallest little cry to the biggest hugs and smiles they are our greatest blessings. I am so grateful that God redeemed us from a life that might have been. He truly showed us great grace and mercy.
We had many new adventures and nothing stopped us from living life to the fullest. We did many things that if we’d been asked during our early years, we would have said “No way” but He worked in big ways through us. Breaking through the shadows of our life into the light of His love was our greatest achievement. And from there, we had strong relationships, reached goals that we didn’t even know were goals and wrote and published many works of the written word. Healing and helping others through the process. We learned to drive a motorcycle, spending many hours with our hubby, kids and grandkids on the open road. Oh the wonders we saw on those roads and the smells we smelt. Well some weren’t so good but it was a journey of life that we should be proud of.
The life we are living now with our Lord as our head is such a fulfilled life. It was a hard but joyous journey.
PART TWO
Think back to your childhood. With your non-dominant hand, write a letter from your 10 year-old self. What would she want you to know?
I don’t know much of what is going on right now but I know that you are going to be strong, courageous and be determined to give us the best life possible.
Life is confusing. The unknown is shadowing my world. Momma was hurt bad in a car wreck but my baby sister was born happy. Or is she happy. She cries all the time. My world is changing and I am caught up in it.
Playing with friends. Enjoying the summer sun and the creek waters is what I want to do but it’s not working out that way. Too much to do for a 10 year old. I didn’t know that at the time. I just thought that was how it was supposed to be that way. Making sure that my sister is taken care of and the house is clean is my job. Are ten year olds really supposed to have a job? I don’t know but you do.
Remember that this will make you stronger when you grow up. But don’t lose yourself in it.
Rhonda Gould 2022
Welcome 