How to write a legacy letter
Selva, founder6 min read
A legacy letter is written now, to be read later: your stories, your hopes, the things you would want them to know. It does not need to be long, and it does not need to be perfect.
Start with a moment, not a lesson
Open with something small and true: where you are sitting, what they did today, what the house sounds like. Concrete details are what readers remember years later.
Try this: tell her about the day she was born.
Say what you hope, not what they should do
Advice ages quickly. Hopes last. “I hope you always have one friend who makes you laugh until you cry” will mean more at eighteen than a list of rules.
“Advice ages quickly. Hopes last.”
Keep this as a voice note for her, free
Choose when it should arrive
A letter for an 18th birthday reads differently from one for a wedding morning. Pick the moment first, then write to the person they will be.
Try this: write to her on the morning of her wedding.
Keep it, then let it wait
Read it once, sign it, and keep it somewhere it will be delivered. You can always add another next year.
Questions
How long should a legacy letter be?One page is plenty. Many of the most treasured letters are a few paragraphs.
Can I change it later?In TrueKin, yes. Edit the letter or change when it arrives, any time until it is delivered.
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