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Dearest Readers, I’m writing to you from a place of profound excitement and possibility. Something extraordinary is happening, and I want you to be among the first to know about it. The red thread of my life has always been about gathering people together—originally around tables, then through the Inside Edge breakfast organization where we hosted 1700 speakers over 39 years. But this latest chapter began with something beautifully simple: an impulse to write to an author whose work had touched me deeply. I sat down and wrote to Dawn Markova, expressing what her writing had meant to my journey. That single act of written appreciation blossomed into our becoming “fairy godsisters”—a profound friendship born from the courage to put appreciation into words. As I witnessed this transformation, I realized we’re living through a crisis of connection that most of us haven’t fully grasped. The Hidden Health Crisis The Surgeon General has declared loneliness the number one health threat in America—not heart disease, not cancer, but disconnection. Yet we have in our hands one of the most powerful antidotes: the lost art of love letters. What fascinates me is how modern science validates what our hearts have always known. Barbara Fredrickson’s groundbreaking research in “Love 2.0” reveals that those micro-moments of genuine connection—what she calls “positivity resonance”—literally transform our physiology. When we write or receive authentic appreciation, our vagal tone improves, our bodies release oxytocin, and our brain patterns actually synchronize with those we’re connecting with. This isn’t poetry—it’s measurable science. Love letters don’t just make us feel good; they make us healthier, more resilient, more vibrant human beings. A physician recently identified what he calls “the other Vitamin C”—connectivity. Just as we need vitamin C for physical health, we desperately need connection for our overall wellbeing. Love letters are vitamin supplements for the soul. A Movement Is Born Three weeks ago, I gathered eighteen extraordinary souls—writers, authors, thought leaders—for a course called “Love Letters”. What happened exceeded every expectation. These weren’t just writing exercises. Participants began experiencing profound shifts. They discovered that expressing appreciation wasn’t just generous—it was healing. The act of crafting words of genuine recognition created what one participant called “an expansion in my chest that lasted for hours”. We’re also experimenting and marveling with the use of AI as a writing partner. Rather than replacing our authentic voices, we’ve discovered that AI can serve as a creative companion—helping overcome writer’s block, suggesting fresh language for familiar appreciation, and amplifying our natural ability to express what we truly feel. It’s been remarkable to witness how technology can actually enhance rather than diminish the intimacy of human connection. Just this morning, Michael shared in a group that his circle of family and friends presented him with a beautiful wooden box filled with letters from each person, expressing their memories and appreciation of him. This is the movement manifesting in real time—people spontaneously creating what I call “love letter legacies”. Your Invitation to Join I can feel an international movement wanting to be born, and I’m being called to be its godmother. But movements aren’t built by one person—they’re created by communities of people who recognize something essential and act on it. Here’s your invitation: Start with one letter this week. Choose someone who has impacted your life and tell them specifically how. Notice what happens in your body as you write. Pay attention to how they respond. This isn’t about pretty stationery or perfect penmanship. It’s about courage—the courage to notice what lights us up about others and to give voice to that recognition. It’s about specificity—telling someone exactly how they’ve expanded your world or reflected your highest qualities back to you. The Vision We live in an age of hurried texts and superficial emojis, yet the hunger for meaningful connection has never been greater. Love letters are bridges across the space between souls. They’re invitations to what Emily Dickinson called “the ecstatic experience” of genuine recognition. I envision love letter circles in communities worldwide. Corporate cultures transformed by appreciation practices. Schools teaching children that their words can be medicine for lonely hearts. Written appreciation becoming as common as taking vitamins. Your Next Step Someone in your life needs to hear what you see in them. Your next love letter might just change everything—for them and for you. We have the power to heal our epidemic of loneliness, one letter at a time. The science is clear, the need is urgent, and the solution is beautifully simple: connecting heart to heart through the written word. Will you join me in spreading this practice? The world is waiting for your words. With deep appreciation for each of you who makes this journey possible…
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