{"id":534,"date":"2017-05-14T16:43:46","date_gmt":"2017-05-14T16:43:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sudlatnid.com\/apps\/wp\/?p=534"},"modified":"2017-05-14T16:43:46","modified_gmt":"2017-05-14T16:43:46","slug":"my-mom-wrote-me-over-100-lunchbox-letters-when-i-was-a-kid-and-15-years-later-ive-realized-her-advice-still-works","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sudlatnid.com\/?p=534","title":{"rendered":"My mom wrote me over 100 ‘lunchbox letters’ when I was a kid \u2014 and 15 years later, I’ve realized her advice still works"},"content":{"rendered":"
My mom wrote me over 100 ‘lunchbox letters’ when I was a kid \u2014 and 15 years later, I’ve realized her advice still works<\/h5>\n
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\u00a0 Skye Gould, May 13, 2017, 12:01 PM<\/span>,
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\"photos75A pile of my mom’s advice letters.<\/span>Skye Gould\/Tech Insider<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

One day in 2003, when I was in 6th grade, my mom put a letter in my lunchbox with some advice on it. “Don’t be quick to judge the girls at school \u2014 it’s up to you to look for something good in each one.”<\/p>\n

My mom, Stephanie Skylar, was the\u00a0Executive VP and Director of Marketing for\u00a0Chief Super Market Inc., a local grocery chain in Lima, Ohio. She worked long and difficult hours and was looking for a way to stay connected to me.\u00a0As an 11-year-old learning how to\u00a0navigate the scary waters of female friendships, this written encouragement instantly helped give me confidence.<\/p>\n

After that first letter, we agreed upon the rules of our project. My mom\u00a0would\u00a0write\u00a0a letter\u00a0each night (sometimes pre-writing a few if she was going to be out-of-town) and I would keep the notes\u00a0safely inside a Skechers’ shoebox. Throughout\u00a0the year, I\u00a0collected\u00a0over 100 ‘lunchbox letters,’ filled with my mom’s wisdom that would\u00a0guide me through my adolescence and\u00a0into my\u00a0adulthood.<\/p>\n

More than a decade later, when I was completing my masters project at\u00a0Ohio University, I created\u00a0a website\u00a0showcasing all of the letters<\/a>\u00a0in chronological order and paired it with my commentary.\u00a0These are some\u00a0of my favorites:<\/p>\n

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Here’s a picture of my mom and me in 2003 on the left, and again in 2016 on the right.<\/h3>\n
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\"Here's<\/div>\n

Skye Gould<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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This is the shoebox I kept the letters in. We decorated it with a “seal of approval” and our signatures, proving our dedication to the project.<\/h3>\n
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\"This<\/div>\n

Meg Vogel<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
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“Don’t be quick to judge the girls at school \u2014 it’s up to you to look for something good in each one.”<\/h3>\n
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\""Don't<\/div>\n

Skye Gould<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“Compliment each girl in your class you want to get to know better. Think of something that would make you feel good and say something that important to each girl. Be the observer and see what happens. I don’t think you’ll see overnight results, but keep looking.”<\/h3>\n
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\""Compliment<\/div>\n

Skye Gould<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
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“Try not to let the teasing girls get to you. Those girls are always going to be jealous of your accomplishments.”<\/h3>\n
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\""Try<\/div>\n

Skye Gould<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“Don’t condemn or criticize.”<\/h3>\n
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\""Don't<\/div>\n

Skye Gould<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
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“Keep a journal of milestones in your life so you’ll have good memories of growing up \u2014 especially in this house.”<\/h3>\n
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\""Keep<\/div>\n

Skye Gould<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“Persevere \u2014 keep asking and you’ll get what you want. It took awhile to get your day with dad \u2014 but you did it. Those pictures are priceless.”<\/h3>\n
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\""Persevere<\/div>\n

Skye Gould<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
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“Cooperate with your parents \u2014 it’ll get you more privileges in the end.”<\/h3>\n
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\""Cooperate<\/div>\n

Skye Gould<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“Remember we are a strong family and we’ll make the right decisions because we stick together!”<\/h3>\n
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\""Remember<\/div>\n

Skye Gould<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
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“When the going gets tough \u2014 the tough get going!”<\/h3>\n
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\""When<\/div>\n

Skye Gould<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“Love as hard and strong as you can \u2014 even if it means loving someone so much you get paralyzed with fear if something bad happens to them.”<\/h3>\n
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\""Love<\/div>\n

Skye Gould<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
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“Count your blessings \u2014 not your troubles.”<\/h3>\n
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\""Count<\/div>\n

Skye Gould<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“I know I said this before in a lunchbox letter, but when one door closes another opens. The hard part is to think about the opportunities of that new open door \u2014 and not obsess about what’s closing.”<\/h3>\n
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\""I<\/div>\n

Skye Gould<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
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“Don’t put too much stock in [AOL] messenger conversations \u2014 there’s no substitute for being in person.”<\/h3>\n
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\""Don't<\/div>\n

Skye Gould<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“Stay as confident as you can while you tread through your teenage years \u2014 it’ll be hard because everyone will try to steal your confidence (except your parents) \u2014 so you’ll have to be strong.”<\/h3>\n
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\""Stay<\/div>\n

Skye Gould<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
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“Know when to spill your guts \u2014 know when to keep your mouth shut and learn how to tell the difference in these situations.”<\/h3>\n
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\""Know<\/div>\n

Skye Gould<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“Travel and see the world \u2014 it’ll make you appreciate coming home again.”<\/h3>\n
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\""Travel<\/div>\n

Skye Gould<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
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“Eat fruits and veggies every day and live a healthy long life.”<\/h3>\n
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\""Eat<\/div>\n

Skye Gould<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“Don’t criticize others unless you are willing to be criticized yourself.”<\/h3>\n
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\""Don't<\/div>\n

Skye Gould<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
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“YOU CAN control your moods!”<\/h3>\n
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\""YOU<\/div>\n

Skye Gould<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“Don’t smoke, drink, or do drugs \u2014 but you can always dye your hair and eat gummy bears!”<\/h3>\n
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\""Don't<\/div>\n

Skye Gould<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
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“Be Yourself!”<\/h3>\n
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\""Be<\/div>\n

Skye Gould<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“Do your best and buzz in at Quiz Bowl \u2014 I think it’s better to guess than not to answer \u2014 at least if you’re right you’d get credit. I’m proud of you for being on this team.”<\/h3>\n
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\""Do<\/div>\n

Skye Gould<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
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“Be open to different opinions \u2014 absorb what someone else is saying \u2014 then debate it. You never know, you might be able to learn from someone else.”<\/h3>\n
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\""Be<\/div>\n

Skye Gould<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“Remember to stay quiet when you’re grumpy. Dad and I are always here to listen to you. Have a sense of humor about stuff going on.”<\/h3>\n
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\""Remember<\/div>\n

Skye Gould<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
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“When asking guys to do a chore or help out \u2014 Be specific \u2014 what, where, when etc… That way you’ll expect it to be done and you won’t feel compelled to step in and do it yourself.”<\/h3>\n
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\""When<\/div>\n

Skye Gould<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“Stick by your mom, even if she’s really OLD! HA :)”<\/h3>\n
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\""Stick<\/div>\n

Skye Gould<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My mom wrote me over 100 ‘lunchbox letters’ when I was a kid \u2014 and 15 years later, I’ve realized her advice still works \u00a0 Skye Gould, May 13, 2017, 12:01 PM, A pile of…<\/p>\n

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