About the Author
“Letters I Never Received,” is a blog written by Shelby Chizek. Shelby grew up across Iowa, studied Journalism and Mass Communications at Iowa State University, worked for two years in the Netherlands and returned to Iowa at the end of 2022. Shelby was inspired for the blog while living in the Netherlands and recognizing through various circumstances that maybe she couldn’t write letters to her younger self, but the perspective she gained along the journey might be helpful for others to read the letters that she didn’t receive.
Every letter is an opportunity for a reader out there to…
Be Encouraged
My hope is every letter can shine a new perspective. I welcome you to pick up the perspective I gained in hindsight. My hope is there is a nugget of encouragement found for every reader.
Be Seen
If you relate to a letter, I invite you to read it and hear, “You are not alone. I have walked that path too.” Though sometimes the walk on the journey may seem intimidating I hope you can feel seen and let go of the weight of feeling alone.
Have a Laugh
Feel free to laugh at or with my stories. Everything shared in this space are stories that I have already processed. Though I hope to not repeat some, I laugh from looking back at moments where growth was cultivated from.
Have Space to Grow
Each letter is a story of personal growth. I hope you, might experience a space that welcomes growth as we look backwards so that we may go forward together.
Have Room to Reflect
If a letter feels it is written to you, awesome! Take the questions associated and journal your response.
Write a Letter
Each letter, has a therapeutic feeling of just putting thoughts on a paper. I welcome you to write your own letters. Each letter you write isn’t for the person who never gets it, but for you to process and close that chapter.
