Whether your relationship is with a spouse, a child, a parent, or a friend love letters do one thing -- they tell the person how much you appreciate a loved-one and how much s/he is loved. There are easy how to's in the love letter writing and simple ideas to make love letters a natural part of a relationship. Not only will your loved-one feel special, but a stronger bond will develop between the both of you. Loved-ones are not to be taken for granted and neither are relationships. A few minutes here and there in the form of a love letter is worth the effort.

How to's

Love letters do not have to be lengthy "How do I love thee" passionate words scrawled on multiple pages. Let's face it eventually you are going to run out of the why reasons and it usually happens after number three. Then there is the fact that nobody wants to sit down and write lengthy love letters no matter how much they are in love with someone. So how do you do it? Easy. I have been doing it for many years. The secret is how and when. You already know the reason why-- you appreciate the person and you love the person. The passionate words are already in you. How you do it is you write short notes. Use Post-It notes, index cards, small pieces of paper for it really does not matter what size of paper. The words you use are simple as well. Write a compliment or an admiration sentence. For example: "You are the most beautiful woman to me;" "I'm the luckiest woman on this earth, because I have you." An admiration sentence could be something like this, "One of the things I like best about you is that you listen to what I have to say. Thank you." Now the second part of the note is telling the person that you love him/her. And not just saying: Love, and your name. Saying it! I love you! writing this down. Putting your name. Adding a heart.

If you are really struggling in your mind as to what to say, here are some examples of compliments, admirations, love thoughts:

"You are my best friend and my lover. I'll be thinking of you today with a smile on my face."

"One thing I can always count on is your support. Thank you for always being there for me."

"I love the way you make me feel when you hold me in your arms."

"You bring the best out in me. I treasure you for this."

So these are a few examples. Remember! Add on the "I Love You" because it is important. Also these words are very important to say to your loved-one every day. He or She needs to hear these words on a daily basis and more often we forget to say them.

When to deliever

The fun way to do it is to put them in special places. Tuck them into a wallet. Place them on a page in a book that your loved-one is reading so when s/he is turning onto a page it will be found. Post it on a bathroom mirror. Put the note on a pillow. Tuck it into a pocket in a pair of pants that will be worn the next day. Be creative. Finding a love note is part of the fun. My mother once wrote a love note to my father at the end of a grocery list as he once headed off to the market. (Yes, I learned love notes/letters from my mother.)

Love Letters for Children

Children get excited about love-notes, too. Receiving them in their lunch boxes/bags or tucked away in their pockets are fun. It is important for children to know they are appreciated and loved. The few simple moments that are taken to write something special about your child and to tell him/her that s/he is loved is worth more than its weight in gold. Children as young as three are ready for love letters. Drawing a picture on a piece of paper that the child enjoys and writing "I love you" with a heart and Mom or Dad or whatever your child calls you is a good way to start off with communicating through writing and starting the bond of identifying in words what you apprecaite in your child.

What you may be thinking: the struggle

So some of you may be thinking about your spouse, or other relationships, and thinking "I'm really struggling here. My relationship is not going all that well and I can't think of anything I can appreciate!" There are couples and parent/child relationships that are having difficulties. You need to start somewhere. This is the time that you have to think hard. Despite everything that may be going wrong there is something that is going right. It may be one small thing on one day. It may be one episode. It may be one funny adorable thing that made you laugh. If you think hard, pushing all that negative stuff away, you will remember why you married that person. You will remember a moment when your son or daughter made you smile. That is what you grasp and write and appreciate. Even if you make a compliment that says something that may not be true for all the time, it does not matter. If your loved-one did it once give credit. Start thinking in positive ways. This is how you start to rekindle the relationship.

Expectations

One of the most important thing you must remember about love letters is expectations. Never and I mean never have an expectation to receive a love letter back. This is not why you are doing the love letter. You are doing the love letter to show your love and appreciation to the person. If you attach an expectation for the person to return a gesture then you have taken away the purpose.

Giving

The fun of love letters is to show your love, your appreciation, and to strengthen your bond with your loved-one. What you will see is a dynamic in your relationship with your loved-one change in positive ways. You may be surprised as to what you will receive back. Love and life is a cycle. Love and appreciation given out comes back in many different ways.