If the timing of this seems crazily off, it’s because the contents of this post first appeared in my monthly email newsletter in June. If you subscribe, you can get more writings like this delivered straight to your inbox and not miss a thing. Sign up here.

Meanwhile, in Massachusetts, we’re preparing for the end of school this month. My sister in California is three hours behind in time but one month ahead in school, so her kids are on vacation already.

Last year, when my kids went to sleep-away camp, I wrote up a fill-in-the-blank letter home for them. It was a way for them to write something easily and also to give them some idea of what I might be interested in hearing about. If you’d like to print out this letter and put it in a self-addressed, stamped envelope, you’re likely get at least one missive while they’re away.

Here’s a link to the letter: fill-in-the-blank-letter-home. Enjoy! Feel free to share with others!