Be Like Lincoln

When Abraham Lincoln used to get really angry he would write a letter full of fury and outrage. Then he would put it away in a drawer. He would never mail the letter. Many of these letters were found after he was assassinated. He never intended to mail them. His intention was to purge himself of anger.

When you write a letter to your grandchildren, inevitably you will remember things from your past that will make you angry. Write about them. Purge them from your mind and heart by writing honestly and with passion. Write about your righteous indignation. Then put them away. Shred them. Have a ritualistic fire and burn them. But don't include the in your letter.

Anger writing has been scientifically prove to be therapeutic. When you have no intention of sharing angry writing it provides a safe outlet to express intense thoughts and feelings. By expressing them privately, you can free yourself of both negative judgement and harmful relationship ending consequences.

It will also help you to identify patterns in your life. You can look back at the times you were filled with anger with more objectivity and less emotional distortion.

It helps you as a writer and a human being to write about your anger and then tear it up. Write about how you developed successful coping mechanisms. Write about how you overcame your amygdala with your prefrontal cortex.

Help your grandchildren. Write a letter that helps them with their emotional regulation.