A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon a cute and yet somewhat cliche gift idea on Pinterest called "Open When Letters". Open When Letters are letters that you give to someone important to you for them to open when they're feeling a certain way or some event has happened in their life. Whenever the topic on the envelope applies, they get to open the letter. It's a way of writing letters for every situation beforehand so that your advice and love is right there when they need it the most. For someone in a long distance relationship--whether with a friend or a romantic partner--these can be extremely helpful. Just because you can't always be there to support them doesn't mean that your words can't be.

I understand that not everyone enjoys the stereotypical "mushy" gifts to give their loved ones, and that's totally fine. However, if you're the type of person who never strays away from an opportunity to let whoever know how much you love them, this is the gift for you. As someone who has given these letters to her own boyfriend, I came up with many ideas for letter topics to use. While it's usually better if some of your letter topics refer to your relationship specifically, some of these general ideas might be a good place for you to start.

Most people include some form of "Open Now" letter with their gift. It gives you the opportunity to give the receiver some rules about the letter opening, i.e. Don't open the letter until the topic applies. The rules are obviously completely personalizable, so don't feel like you have to copy ones that you've found online. This is also a place to include anything else you want your receiver to know before they open the rest of the letters.

Open When You've Had A Great Day:

What's better than topping off your great day than hearing from someone you love? Writing a letter for when they've had a good day is usually a great place to start your letter writing. Tell them exactly what you'd tell them if you were with them in person. In my own letter, I included a picture of me with my boyfriend, a few quotes, and a Bible verse. If you're able to give more than what fits into an envelope, you could also give something personal that they would enjoy, like their favorite candy.

Open When You've Had A Bad Day:

With great days come bad days, and hearing from you through a letter might help the receiver feel a little bit better. Again, just include any advice or words of support that you would if the receiver was there with you in person. You could tell them that you're sorry their day wasn't a good one, or try to reassure them that tomorrow will be better. Adding photos of the two of you is always a good place to start as well. You could also include quotes or verses if you find some you think would help turn their mood around.

Open When You Need Motivation:

For me, this was an important letter to include. My boyfriend seemed to struggle a lot with finding motivation for homework and studying last semester, so writing this letter allowed me to help him get motivated without being able to do it in person. Inside I included a few cheesy motivational quotes along with my letter and another Bible verse. I also included a motivational "Take What You Need" tear off so that the receiver can take whatever motivation they need to get through the day, whether it be love, confidence, energy, or something else.

Open When You're Stressed:

When people are stressed, they often look for someone to turn to. With this letter, you can still be that person, even if you aren't there. Most of these letters include the same basic things: words you'd tell them in person, pictures, and quotes of some kind if you feel like it. In mine, I talked about the things that I'd want to hear if I was in their position and let him know that I'd be here for him no matter what happened. It's hard to give descriptive advice when the scenario you're writing it for hasn't happened yet, but write from your heart and they'll still appreciate it.

Open When You're Questioning Us:

This one is up to you. If you feel extremely confident in your relationship, you might not want to include this one. In my letter, I wrote about all the wonderful things we talked about doing in the future together and the hypothetical life we planned out for after we got married. Sometimes all it takes to stop someone's wandering mind is reminding them what they have in front of them: you. In this letter, I made sure to put extra pictures of my boyfriend and me, and included photos of the things I talked about in my letter.

Open When You're Sick:

This is another letter that I've seen frequently used. Often times people include baggies of medicine, like Tylenol or Tums, and tissues. In my own letter, I included a small pack of tissues and a note saying how I wish I could be there to take care of him. There's not much you can do from a distance, but I reminded him that I'm always a phone or Skype call away.

Open When You Need Some Love:

I have to admit, this one was my favorite one to write, and I recommend it if you're giving these letters to your partner. I included kiss marks that I took using whatever lipstick I found laying around my room, and used this letter as my time to tell my boyfriend exactly how important he is to me. I went into detail about all the things I love about him and made sure to make it sappy. To finish it up, I included pictures of us and quotes, just like I did in most of the other letters.

Open When You Want To Talk To Me But Can't:

This one is especially important to include, especially if you're in a relationship where communication is restricted. Remind them that they're important to you and that you're thinking about them as much as they're thinking about you. Include a picture of yourself for them to take with them, too, and as always, write from your heart.

Open When You Miss Me:

Obviously, if you're writing these letters, you know you'll miss them and they'll miss you, so this letter is pretty important to include. Out of all the letters to put photos in, this is the most important one. I mean think about it: if you're missing someone, don't you want to see their face? Unfortunately, this is one I can't really tell you how to write, but I'd make sure you tell them how much you're missing them too and that your separation won't be forever.

Whatever long distance relationship you're in, Open When Letters are a unique and personal way to let someone know you care about them. Through my own experience, I strangely felt even more connected to my boyfriend even though he wasn't even here. It helped me realize how important he is to me, and I'm sure he understood that when he read the letters. There are so many more topics you could write about in your own Open When Letters, but these will give you some ideas to start you out. Good luck and happy writing!

Letter Writing Starter Kit