It’s never easy to be far from the ones you love, especially when life is doling out intense pressure everywhere you turn. This March, you showed up to encourage Ghazal and remind her just how loved she is.

Ryan needed encouragement as he worked tirelessly to get his family back on their feet. And in classic MLL fashion, you delivered.

This March, we had the opportunity to encourage Lyn—a wonderful woman who needed a reminder of how much value she brings to the world.

Sometimes, the letter writer needs a turn to be the one with a full mailbox.

Brenda’s niece, Kaitlyn, nominated her aunt for a love letter bundle as a part of the 12 Days of Love Letters campaign. Like us, Brenda is a letter writer. Kaitlyn wrote us to share her aunt’s story.

This holiday season, you wrote from all across the globe to encourage Jane - a woman struggling under the weight of anxiety and grief.

This February, you sent over 140 letters filled with love to Belgium to remind someone that even strong people deserve to be taken care of.

This October, you helped Neeraj rediscover his song.

Jane was nominated for the 12 Days of Love Letters by her daughter, Karen.

Karen wrote to us to share her mom’s story.

“No matter where we find ourselves we can always start again.”

This holiday season, you encouraged Ed as he walks through one of the most painful heartbreaks imaginable. This past October, Ed lost the love of his life - his best friend. They had been married for 61 years.

Sometimes, we all need the words of someone who cares to act as our lifeboat. This holiday season, you gave Ricky the encouragement that he needs to carry him through the new year.

This November, we collected love letters for Tali— a young woman trying desperately to remember her purpose and rediscover her joy.

There’s no easy answer, but I think it would benefit us all to take fewer cues from societal shoulds, social media, or marketing campaigns, and instead strive to observe the changing seasons of our lives in the way we watch summer blaze into fall, or spring blossom from winter– without judgment or rush to action, with acceptance, with a celebration of the uniqueness, the worth, of each new stage over fruitless yearning for some other time. After all: there’s beauty and value in even the hardest seasons of our lives, if we can accept that suffering is as much a part of life as any positive emotion, if we can accept change as the only constant, if we can accept that all things– both good and bad– eventually pass, if we can try to appreciate rather than resist.

You may specifically not identify with being Black, female, or a minority in a field dominated by people who may not share your ethnicity, background, or culture. However, I do believe that most people can identify with feeling lonely, out of place, disconnected, or like no one understands how you feel or what you’re going through. You may be looking for your “Waldo” amongst a sea of people around you—only to leave feeling that you are the “only one”. I’m here to tell you that you are not alone. You may feel lonely, but you are never alone.

Being an Au Pair taught me: When people take a chance on you it is the most beautiful gift. Whether that is in a job, a relationship or even an experience like being an Au Pair. All you have to do is give it your all and show up with open arms for what you are going to learn. You cannot wait for life to happen to you. You must go and live it.

Fighting loneliness is hard, and if you’re in that fight right now, you’re not alone. I hope you feel more empowered today to face the struggle head on. Just like other emotions, loneliness will come and go, but with the right tools we can maneuver through it and find the true companionship we crave.