A Letter & Forgotten Sticky Notes

My sister recently wrote me the most darling letter (via snail mail), of which I’ve decided to share an excerpt of.  I asked her permission of course, and I waited until she had received my reply so that I didn’t spoil it by posting my part of the letter on my blog.  She asked me a peculiar question, but also a perfectly understandable one.  I used to write random notes to myself on sticky notes and put them on the mirror and I didn’t clean them off before I left.  There was one in particular she was curious about. 

Dear Elisabeth,

...In our room, the spoons are still up (I like how they look), everything on the top shelf is just as it was when you left, and my favorite of all are the picture, sticky notes and etc. on the mirror.  Right after you left, I thought of taking them down but decided to leave them up a little longer.  Well, they are still up, and every time one of my friends walks into the room and sees the “I will never resort to looking like a piece of cake” sticky note, they ask me where it is from and what does it mean.  So I am asking you now, where is it from and what does it mean?  In the morning I when I wake up and get ready, I look at all of those sticky notes and pictures and I love what story each of them tells...

Dear Rebecca,

...I’m glad that you left the sticky notes on the mirror—it makes me feel like I left a little there to remind you about how much I love you.  I forgot about the “cake” note and I laughed so hard when you wrote about that in your letter.  Here is what it means: I promised myself I would never look like I piece of cake, because if I look like a piece of cake it means I am wearing too much makeup.  Cake is perfectly smoothed over and wonderfully decorated, but not all good-looking cakes taste good.  What truly matters is on the inside, not the outside.  Thus, “I will never resort to looking like a piece of cake,” means that I won’t let insecurity get the best of me.  I’ve discovered here that people recognize the difference between outward beauty and inward beauty.  And when you have inward beauty, it allows you to be beautiful in every way.  You, my dear, are beautiful in every way, and don’t ever resort to looking like a piece of cake.  Not that you will, but I’m glad that you have that reminder on the mirror for you to always see.  I miss you and your wonderful heart and, as much as we might have been grumpy with each other on occasion, having a roommate is not the same as having you...

I can’t express how glad I am that she wrote me a letter.  Nothing can beat a correspondence via snail mail when the words are thought out, placed, and have time settle in as they are mailed to their destination.  I can’t wait to get a letter back.

I love you little sister.