I remember when I was a little girl, about 8 years old I watched a movie with Marilyn Monroe. I thought she was so beautiful and glamorous. I decided I wanted to be an actress. This was the very last career suited for an extremely shy child who never spoke to any adults except her parents. But something about being on stage or in front of a camera excited me. My child’s mind told me I could be someone else on stage and be liberated from my timid personality.

In 4th grade, I tried out for the class play and to my surprise, I got the lead. In high school, I was in chorus and performed in two plays. Amazingly, this shy 17 year old was chosen to play the role of a stripper in the play Gypsy. At first I was terrified to go on stage in a bikini costume in front of 1,000 people, but my high school drama coach insisted it would all be ok and I would be a big hit. When opening night came, I went out on stage as Electra, the stripper. I shook the light bulbs on my body. Well, this was definitely my glass ceiling and I shattered it. I was never shy after that night.

I did not go on to be a great actress, but I did have a 40-year career in pharmaceutical sales, which required me to be very outgoing and confident. Sometimes life prepares you for your future without you even realizing it.

Your life’s events are so pivotal and amazing.

Dear Unsealers,

I remember the exact day I started to dream about my future. It was 1995, a year after the New York Rangers won the Stanley Cup. My dad took me to Game 4 of the second round of the postseason. The Rangers were playing the Philadelphia Flyers. New York was down 3-0 in the series, and we went to the game hoping we’d witness the beginning of New York’s comeback. While that didn’t happen, I still had an incredible night. Before the game, my father and I started walking toward our seats in the nosebleeds section when a woman approached us. She was a VP at ABC sports and told us she had an extra ticket in the first row. Then, she asked if I wanted it. Of course, I accepted. Luckily we found another seat nearby for my dad. As I asked this woman about her career, a light bulb went off. I could one day get paid to go to sporting events. My ten-year-old self was sold. That was the moment I decided I wanted to be a sportscaster. From that moment on, I was determined to make my dream happen.

In college, I interned at CBS and ABC in their sports departments. During my junior year, I began working in the NBA’’s broadcasting department before accepting a job as a full-time writer. A year after graduating college, I got my first on-air job, working for MSG Varsity, a high school sports network in New York. Then, I worked as a reporter and anchor for local news stations in Buffalo, NY, and Cleveland, Ohio. From a World Series to the NBA Championship, I had the opportunity to cover some pretty incredible moments as I truly lived my childhood dream.

However, after ten years, I realized I had developed new interests. As a sportscaster, I conducted a lot of interviews and fell in love with the art of storytelling. Meeting people from all walks of life made me more interested in social issues. I wanted to be an advocate and journalist, and after flying all over the country for interviews and meetings, I realized the job I wanted didn’t exist. So, I created it. I started my own company called The Unsealed, a platform that helps us amplify the stories and voices of people with various perspectives. I am genuinely thankful that I achieved my childhood dream because it was my dream that helped me discover my purpose.

With love and hope,

Dear someone who is about to give up,
I have just finished my freshman year of college. I have made many good friends and achieved good grades, and even joined a few clubs. However last summer if you told me that was going to be my freshman year experience I probably would not have believed you. My whole life I have had a speech impediment and for as long as I can remember my biggest fear was speaking to or meeting new people. It terrified me to have to put myself out there because I never knew how people were going to respond. And up until my freshman year of college, I was always able to hide behind my twin sister. Me and her are so close and do everything with each other because of this we had the same friends and I always let her take the lead on making them. When this happened I was always there by association or friends by the association at least I felt like I was. It was not until I was literally forced to go out at and make friends at school without having my sister by my side(we went to different colleges) that I realized I was even capable of this. So trust me I understand firsthand how scary things can be especially if they do not go the way you thought at first. However, I also understand how fear can hold you back and keep you from achieving your goals and dreams. Please do not wait as long as I did to let fear stop me from reaching my accomplishments

I’m a writer and words have meaning. My Dad was a Marine and for him Action is what matters. I don’t expect him to say I love you, because that is not the generation he grew up in where Men expressed emotions. Yet I know he loves me when he took care of his family and bought me action figures (Star Trek or Superheroes) even when I broke the last ones. I learn from my Dad to be more of a Man who may not always say what he feels but shows it. I’m not going to ever hear my Dad gush with emotions and I don’t need to.

He didn’t say it when I was a little boy who wanted to make movies and he’s not going to say it now.

Paradoxically, I do use the words, “I love you,” but only if I mean them and I have did some action to show it is how I feel. I’m not going too much into my personal life though. I do that by writing characters and using fiction as a basis for truths I have found in life.

I have found some use “I love you” to manipulate others and their actions are the total opposite of Love. In writing and researching crime stories, I find Women and Men who have been abused verbally and physically by people who constantly say “I love you.”

So as the son of a Marine, I will say, if someone really and truly loves you, they won’t have to say it. You will know it.

Oddly enough one of my friends likes to compliment me in what can be called paradoxically jealous. He said, I was fearless.

The circumstances was I went and talked to someone while he didn’t. Often times I strike up conversations with people I find intriguing. I didn’t want anything but just to say hello.

My Friend, on the other hand, puts a lot of thought into how things benefit him and tries to make calculations on whether it is worth it to meet someone new.
I didn’t see it as being “fearless,” but just being friendly. I explained this to my Friend who didn’t get the benefit of saying hello to a stranger. Although I just decided to take the compliment and keep being fearless (friendly).

I told my Friend, sometimes you just have to do nice things and not want anything in return.

I told him a story from a movie “The Fisher King.”

ly saw a man alone and in pain. And he asked the king “What ails you friend?” The king replied “I’m thirsty. I need some water to cool my throat”. So the fool took a cup from beside his bed, filled it with water and handed it to the king. As the king began to drink, he realized his wound was healed. He looked in his hands and there was the holy grail, that which he sought all of his life. And he turned to the fool and said with amazement, “How can you find that which my brightest and bravest could not?” And the fool replied “I don’t know. I only knew that you were thirsty”

Hey Guys!

I decided to introduce pen pals in groups of four. You can also add and write to anyone in the community, but this just breaks the ice a bit.

So @johncarubbagmail-com @zaysmith1 @polok12 @prelude2cinema7 all say hello.

To break the ice, share with each other the best compliment you have ever received. One of my personal favorites was from a friend from Buffalo. She had a lot of issues with the guy she was dating at the time. And when I was leaving she wrote me a card. In it she said, “Whenever I have to make a strong decision in life, I think of you.”

I was so touched. Another favorite came from a man who was blind. He said, “Everyone keeps telling me that it’s too bad I can’t see because you are really beautiful. But I don’t need vision to see that you are beautiful.”

He was saying I was beautiful person.

I can’t wait to hear your stories!

You guys can start a new letter/new thread in this group or any other group. You can post your letters on your social media and decide whether you want the letters to be public for the world or private for The Unsealed community.

Thank you for being a part of the family, and I hope you guys enjoy writing to each other. If you have any questions, I am always here to help.

I love you all,

Hey Guys!

I decided to introduce pen pals in groups of four. You can also add and write to anyone in the community, but this just breaks the ice a bit.

So @sarita @lisaferreri21 @vcalero @jfritz all say hello. You are all strong and courageous people with stories to tell.

To break the ice, share with each other something that made you proud during the pandemic. Maybe you learned something new. Maybe you realized you were stronger than you thought. Perhaps you opened yourself up to making new virtual friends or maybe you started a business.

When the pandemic hit, I thought The Unsealed would unravel. I thought no one would sign up, and I wouldn’t be able to afford to keep going. While I was scared, I decided to step on the gas, even more, using the extra time at home to work harder and reach out to people one by one.

During the pandemic, I built enough of a foundation to get it to where it is today (which is still in its infancy, but it is a start). I am really proud I didn’t give up. I am really proud I pushed myself. I am really proud that I fought as hard as I could when facing fear, and I was blessed with all of your support.

You guys can start a new letter/new thread in this group or any other group. You can post your letters on your social media and decide whether you want the letters to be public for the world or private for The Unsealed community.

I can’t wait to read your letters and why you are proud.

Thank you for being a part of the family, and I hope you guys enjoy writing to each other. If you have any questions, I am always here to help.

I love you all,

Dear @telina27 and @amazz94,

I want to officially introduce you two as pen pals! Both of you are such kind people with creative minds. Telina, Alex is artists. Alex, Telina is a writer. You both have had loss in your life but also have experienced a lot of love from your families.

I thought I would start you off with an icebreaker question. You guys also don’t have to reply to this thread. You can start your own.

But the icebreaker is, what is the best compliment you’ve ever received. I have two. In high school, I didn’t get into honors English. My guidance counselor advocated for me.

He said, “If you give her a challenge, she won’t only meet it, she will far exceed it.”

I got into honors English that year and also got an A in the class. I wanted to prove my guidance counselor right.

In my 20’s I also had a friend tell me, “When I need to make a strong decision I think of you.”

I didn’t know she perceived me that way. I was so touched.

Anyways, feel free to start a new letter in any of the groups/topics and start writing to each other.

Be kind. Be supportive. Be honest and have fun! Let me know if you have any questions.

xo

Hey @mehraslam and @ashley_topham, I wanted to introduce you both. Ashley meet Mehr and Mehr meet Ashley. Either one of you can start writing each other or you can both do a post. Just go to your profile and start writing and @ the other person. Make sure you select group (you have to be part of a group to post in that group and respond.)

I wanted to get you guys started with an icebreaker. The Icebreaker is What is one of your favorite childhood memories and how has it impact the person you are today?

I will share one of mine. Every Saturday morning my parents used to sleep late because they liked to go out on Friday nights. So, my brother and I would be up early all alone. My brother, who was four years older, used that time to teach me what he learned in school. I absolutely loved the one-on-one attention from my brother. He wasn’t teasing me like he did most other times of day. He wasn’t competing with me like we did when we played sports. He was helping me grow and giving me a head start in life.

I ended up getting such a head start, when I got to Kindergarten the school decided to skip me to first grade. I was so excited to make my brother proud and realized I should listen to my brother more often. So, through the years, I always looked to him for advice. Decades later, I still defer to my big brother. He believes in me and encourages me and he is a big reason why I have persevered through some of my darkest days.

I can’t wait to hear your stories! xo PS. Don’t forget to join the different groups before you post your letters.

Dear Unsealers,

It’s hard to express how thankful I am for each of you. When I started this company, I was motivated by the idea that my personal experiences coping with sexual violence could inspire others. For me, this company allowed me to turn what was once a deep and dark secret into a superpower. While each of you has supported me on this journey, I am proud to say this company has become less about me and more about all of you.

I have connected with many of you, assisting you in writing your stories and sharing with you the wisdom that others have offered.

While starting any business from scratch (with nearly no startup cash) is incredibly difficult, the myriad ways we’ve deeply impacted people have given me a clear vision and pushed me to march through numerous obstacles every day.

A father whose teenage daughter struggled with a stutter wrote to me, “While teaching Morgan to relearn to talk will always be a challenge, we quickly saw the mental support she needed was far more important…There will never be a magic pill, and we knew that. Then, the Unsealed happened. It provided Morgan with an unbiased platform. It was safe. She found a place to tell her story from her perspective. …. The letter, told from her words, has acted like a coming-out party for Morgan…I am not totally sure Morgan even knows it, but I’ve seen the before and after… She has more confidence than ever to go get the life she wants.”

One of our members who has battled depression and overwhelming grief after losing his mom at a young age just recently posted, “Without The Unsealed, I most likely would be buried in the plot meant for my father, besides my mother. I wouldn’t be doing my best to offer my particular brand of hard work to my job. I wouldn’t be speaking out for the underprivileged. I wouldn’t be taking care of my father as he continues to wage his battle against Carcinoid Cancer. I am eternally grateful that the younger you became who you are in the present moment. ”

And an 18-year-old sexual assault survivor emailed me the following:
“I had mentioned that you were the sixth person I had ever told my story to, and I just wanted to follow up and say thank you for giving me the space to do that. Interestingly enough, I did not tell you my story because you were affected by a similar — and yet very, very different — experience. I told you because the way you instantly conveyed yourself as a strong female role model (but also a total stranger) created what I recognized as a safe space. You have no idea how much it means to me to see women like you… I know nearly nothing about you, but whoever it is that you are, you made me want to tell a seventh and an eighth, and a ninth person about my story… I’m not entirely sure where this sudden willingness to share my story came from, but I attribute it to you because you are the first woman I met face-to-face who used her experiences to drive her passion.”

Sometimes simply reading these testimonials make my stoic personality crack. My eyes well up with tears, and my heart overflows with emotion. I am simply amazed by what we’ve created so far. But I also realize that I am only one person, and the potential impact we can make as a community is far greater than me alone.

That’s why I have decided to add a new element to The Unsealed. Instead of just connecting with me, it’s time for you to write to each other – to be the light for one another. We created a community of pen pals – a safe place for you to express yourself and connect with people, most often strangers, who want to see you win in life. You can add friends/penpals and @ your letters to them in our specific groups, or you can post a letter in one of our groups (divided by topics: mental health, chasing your dreams, women’s empowerment, etc.) and wait and see who from our community responds. You can even start your own group. Also, you can make your letters public to share with the world or private for just our community. It’s up to you. Feel free to repost any contest entries into one of our groups so that people can write you back!

If you would like to be assigned a pen pal, reach out to me at lauren@theunsealed.com. In the meantime, please log in, explore our new interactive community and add me as your first friend/pen pal.

I hope you take part in writing, sharing, reading, and exchanging Unsealed Letters. Your words will not only impact many people on The Unsealed, but your truth will reverberate throughout the world. We as a community have the chance to bring to each other’s lives what you have all already brought to mine: hope, love, and peace.

Thank you all. I love you, and I am forever grateful for all of you! Now, it’s your time to take part in transforming many more secrets into superpowers.

P.S. Click “Write me back” below and write me back about my story, any ideas for the community, or anything else that this letter inspires you to share (You must log in and join the group to respond). I can’t wait to be enlightened by your truth.

@abbiegwrites, @abbycashton, @abbykb, @abo, @kayjahlorde, @krisqts-us-com, @mshagrin, @oneturbobenz, @abrill21, @shelleybrill, @cousin-shelly, @marcusj23, @willardogan, @wilparker1, @stevenburkett, @rschwartzsca-cpa-com. @lostone89, @telina27, @ashley_topham, @mehraslam, @lindseylamar, @katiedibs, @edwinbassler, @dsenlightenededits, @gabriellebeth, @hue-jackson, @mindfulstack, @jerricaconley, @jsimon, @redskinsjjv84, @yourbabydaddy, @okiwa002, @vcalero, @zaysmith1