note de Noël Letter | Day 23: "Voice"

First thing in the morning,
I heard a drawn-out voice saying, "Mommy..."
It was that time of day when light only just begins to peek through the gaps in the curtains.
A voice that sounded sleepy, yet was calling out to me so directly.

Ah, because of this voice, I can get up again today—
or so I think.

Voices are mysterious things.
Even if you can't see the person, they bring them right to you.
Whether it's a "Good morning," a "You must be tired," or "What shall we eat today?"
Sometimes, just a single word can make the air feel soft and gentle.

Conversely, there are days when voices don't reach.
Days when I swallow what I want to say,
nights when I couldn't ask anyone for help,
I sometimes wonder, where did my voice go at those times?
It quietly echoes in my heart long after.

But you know, even if it seems to have vanished,
I believe the voice remains.
Words that didn't reach, sentences saved as drafts,
the resolution from that day when I thought, "I want to tell them someday,"
are placed somewhere in the heart like a light.
They wait quietly until the day comes when you can pick them up again.

I think about this at the library sometimes, too.
The child who said in a small voice, "I loved this book."
The mother who shyly told me,
"The book you recommended before was wonderful."
Though not loud, those voices were the lights that made me think,
"I want to keep doing this job."

It can be through writing, or it can be through sound.
Take that "voice not yet released" inside you,
and bring it just a little bit into the outside world.

We are connected by our voices.
We are also connected by listening.
There is surely someone waiting for your voice.

Let's continue to light the lamps of words together today, too.
See you tomorrow.

🎁Today's light word lottery: "Voice"
Why not try doing something small like this?

• Write down just one line in a memo about something you missed saying in your heart

• Try telling your children or family "I'm happy" with your voice

• Try sending a short audio clip or message to someone you are apart from

Please share your light of "voice" using the hashtag #noteDeNoelLetter
💌

🕯 What is note de Noël?

Reading is fine, writing is fine.
Take a small moment to notice the light within yourself through words.
Thank you for reading today as well.
I will deliver a new "light word" tomorrow morning as well 🕯