The task of all tasks.
The blog of all blogs.
24 friends.
12 months.
1 hand-written letter per friend, per month. {24 letters/month}
Unlimited bonding/growth/fun/love.
Y'all. SO EXCITED.
So, let's rewind to 2 months ago.
I'm living life, loving life {as much as possible} and I just get this overwhelming need to just love on my friends. No particular reason. Just, this major emotional break. If I could, I would have hugged you. All of you. The most extravagant hug that never ends, and we both leave full and fulfilled and loved. Call me crazy. I have my moments.
But seriously. I thought, how blessed am I to have these fantastic people in my life who kinda like me too? I mean, I'm a pretty difficult person. So, to have such am overwhelming group of friends who I have shared such intimate details about life and what I want in life and my needs and desires and my dreams and goals...gosh, I'm so blessed.
Fast forward to:
one month, one week, 2 days later.
July 28, 2014.
The day that shook me to my core.
I was just in the beginning stages of this #24duringmy24thproject, collecting addresses, getting my thoughts together on what to say, how to say it, delivery, etc. Now, initially, this was a selfish thing. This was solely for me to bond with my friends...
My sweet, precious, hilarious friend, Claire, passed away suddenly. It was a typical Mississippi Monday in July.
Muggy and suffocatingly hot.
I remember getting the phone call.
It still doesn't even seem real.
My friend Claire was one of my sweet 24. Just a few days before, she begged me to tell her what I was up to, but I kept it a secret up until the letters were mailed out. Breaks my heart that I'm not going to be able to share this with her.
I KNOW she would have wrote me back within the first week. She always was prompt like that. :)
The following days after Claire's passing seem like a blur. I don't remember much. Just trying to wrap my puny, simple brain around the big picture and what has just happened-the immeasurable loss we've just endured.
Let's talk a little about my friend Claire.
Clara, as I affectionately called her, or "Claire My Love" as she so sweetly changed her name in my phone, was
one-of-a-kind; quite possibly the most stunningly open and Jesus-loving person I've ever had the pleasure of knowing.
To the people who didn't know Claire, my words cannot do her justice.
Goodness.
How I miss my friend.
So, this project grew in meaning after losing Claire. I realized that the people in my life mean much more than what I credit them for. It's important to me that my friends understand their worth and importance in my life.
Just like with Claire, I have immeasurable love for you guys.
So, why 24 you ask?
Well, I turned 24 on August 20th.
And there's 24 hours in a day.
And it's my last year before I'm halfway to 50. (Oy vey)
Why not?
So. My goal with all of this is...
1: {obviously} build my relationships. Love on my friends.
Show them their worth in my life.
2: pray for them.
For the next 365+ days, these specific 24 people will be prayed for every single day.
3: 1 letter{at least} per person, per month.
24 hand-written letters! Every single month! For a year!
It's truly a lost art.
SO.
To my sweet 24:
I cannot wait to see what this year brings. Please participate. You'll break my heart if you don't. I've even provided an email outlet for those of you who aren't fond of the ol' postal service.
{but, who doesn't get a little giddy when they get a letter in the mail?!?}
You rock, and I cannot wait to do this with you.
Caitlyn.
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