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

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

It’s been almost six years since I lost my ex-boyfriend, Brian. He loved me with all his heart. And even though I broke his heart, he never stopped caring about me, supporting me, or cheering on my success. When he was alive, I spent years keeping him an arm’s distance away. At the time, I just didn’t want the same relationship that he wanted. But when he died, I almost fell in love with him all over again, or maybe I realized I never stopped loving him. At that moment, I remembered the roses he bought me for no reason, the times we ran around lower Manhattan going to psychics to see what they’d say, and the comedy shows where we laughed until our stomachs hurt. Brian never wanted to tell me “no” about anything. He always wanted to see me happy. I never really thought about how I’d feel if one day he was no longer here.

Before he died, he made me promise him that I would never settle for anyone who didn’t treat me the way he treated me. He literally made me look him in the eye and say, “I promise.” Now, when I date, and someone falls short of treating me how he wanted, it’s almost like I grieve him dying all over again. With each disappointment, I am reminded of him and how we really did have something special.

While I can’t turn back the clocks of time, I keep Brian close to my heart every day. And when I find that person who treats me how he wanted me to be treated, I will honor Brian’s life by meeting that standard as well.

Never again will I take anyone’s love for granted.

Anyone else have someone in their lives that they hold close? How do you guys deal with grief? Would love to hear from you guys <3

@amazz94 @bigstudbundy @zsigray81@delanomassey @josh-copeland @jim-c @fpjames7 @oneturbobenz @shelleybrill @telina27