My Friend Did the Coolest Thing at Her Dinner Party

Perfect, C! Thank you x

That’s a really cute idea. I just tried it for some of my friends.

My Dad wrote an acrostic poem for me when I was just a few weeks old and it’s still touching to read back. I’ve asked if he can write a similar one for my baby, his new grand daughter too.

i love all things cheese and cheesy! liz has got lovely handwriting.

“Who’s coming over tonight?”
“Gwendolyn, Alessandro, Kimberley and Christopher.”
“…you know, I’m going to save the poem thing for next time.”

reminds me of a time at a silly silly summer job i used to have (sort of summer camp vibes where everyone is working and living together) my two best pals and i wrote haikus for everyone that worked there. i literally forget all of them except one closing line from a poem to our friend: “you are so, so chill” hahahaha

So very kind and touching, and I know she spoke for thousands when she wrote those words!

When I was 18, a new university friend told me that when she first saw me, she thought I seemed “stuck up” but then she realized how “down to earth” I was. I am 39 and I have never forgotten that compliment.

Could be a lovely thing to do for your bridal party or rehearsal dinner guests though.

I used to teach freshman English, and during our Poetry unit, I’d have each student write an acrostic poem for themselves and one for another student that I assigned to them. They had to keep their “partner” secret, so that, at the end of the unit when we did our poetry readings, each student got to read and present the acrostic to their partner, written about their partner. I always loved this unit and this project in particular. The poems were always thoughtful and fun!

That really is just the loveliest thing! It takes time to put that together for a table full of people. She clearly has the gift of hospitality and is a good friend. Lucky you!

My Mother-in-Law can be a difficult person, but whenever I get bitter or grouchy about her, I think about the acrostic poems she always wrote for her kids on Valentine’s Day. She has 6 kids, so I imagine it took her awhile to do them meaningfully, and my husband still speaks of how it felt to see that written out for him, on construction paper, sitting atop a little box of chocolates on Valentine’s morning.

And last year around Valentine’s Day we spent some time with them and sure enough, out of her purse came a little heart-shaped box and an acrostic just for our daughter, who was enchanted by the whole thing! A good reminder that no matter how tough someone seems, there’s always something good inside, too.

Not unlike chocolates, I guess!

Would I regret doing these as placecards for my 130 guest wedding this fall?.

This reminds me of the book Sorrow and Bliss which I found through your recommendation, Joanna. I love this and I loved that book.

I think things like acrostics make us feel extra loved because we know the author had to spend time and thought to find just the right words to describe us. In a Bible study group I am in, we were talking about why God would inspire writers like David to write psalms as acrostics or using other poetic devices that most future readers experiencing the psalms in a different language would be totally unaware were a part of the poem. One reason offered was that the *writer* is benefited by the exercise, which I think applies to what your friend did, as well.

My offering :)

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People from all over
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My 7-year-old friend wrote me one recently….

Alohomora [the unlocking charm, for you muggles]
Brain head
Brilliant
Exciting
You are fun

There’s no wrong way to do an acrostic, folks.

You’ve inspired me to do this for each of my employees at our next work party. We are all women. I know they’d love to have something personalized of how I feel about them.

My husband proposed to me with an acrostic poem! All the letters spelled “will you marry me?” Obviously I said yes! ?

When I was little, I had a best friend who was almost exactly one year younger than me. Our moms were friends before we were born. When we moved from LA when I was 12, Lindsey gave me a photo album including an acrostic of “Best Friends”:

Being together
Everywhere
Sharing
Things

Faithful and
Reliable
Is what
Erin is.

I’d have to fish out the album to remember the rest…but I’m almost 38 now, and I still remember that much of it by heart. And we still keep in touch.

This made me teary. And of course it’s still true 2.5yrs later. I feel like I should rewrite these every year! Everyone deserves to know, succinctly, how we see them and know them to be. Which reminds me, this would be a great thing to send my 10yr old at sleepaway camp :)
Love you friend.
xoxo

I just attended a friend’s wedding. On each place card my friend wrote a Bible verse for her or her groom’s relationship to each person. Mine said “A friend loves at all times” and my husband’s said “Above all, love each other deeply.” I’m not even religious and I got choked up at the thought she put into all of it, from picking the verses to hand-lettering them on the cards. I took them with me when we left and have them displayed in our house now. They perfectly encapsulate the kind and caring person she is.

beautiful and so spot on for you <3 <3 <3

My dad did this for me for our wedding rehearsal dinner! It was lovely

I spent the entire pandemic alone and stressed out so I think I am going to do this for my self and maybe I will frame it to hang where I can see it every day too!

love this :)