Your letter · draft
Dear my darling,
There are things I've never quite said out loud, so I'm writing them down.
Your words will appear here as you write…
All my love, always,
Me
Free tool · 10 minutes · Private
Write the letter you keep putting off.
Choose who it's for and how you want it to sound. Gentle prompts get you past the blank page, and your letter takes shape on paper as you type.
Prompt 1 of 6
A small moment with them you never want to forget.
No words yet
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How to use it
How to use the letter writer
It takes about ten minutes. You can stop at any point: the draft waits in this browser until you come back.
Choose who it's for
Pick the relationship and add their name and how you'd sign off. The prompts change to suit a partner, child, parent, friend or sibling.
Pick a tone
Warm, light-hearted or brief. The tone sets a suggested opening line and sign-off, which you can turn off.
Use the prompts
Read a prompt, then write freely. Tap 'Another prompt' for a different angle, or 'Start with this line' to drop a first line into your letter.
Read it on paper
Your letter appears on the paper card as you type. Reading it there helps you hear how it will sound to them.
Keep it
Copy, print or download it as a text file. To have it delivered only if it's ever needed, save it in Sealkept.
What makes a goodbye letter good
Specific beats profound
A smell, a car journey, a Tuesday that wasn't special at the time. One concrete memory says more than a page of big statements.
Say the thing directly
'I love you', 'I'm proud of you', 'thank you', 'I'm sorry'. People treasure the plain sentences they never quite heard out loud.
Give permission
Tell them it's all right to be happy, to move on, to keep or give away your things. Many people later say this was the line that helped most.
Keep instructions separate
Passwords, accounts and paperwork belong in a separate note to your executor. Let the letter be about the two of you.
Write one per person
A letter addressed to one person feels completely different from one addressed to 'everyone'. Start with the person who comes to mind first.
Revisit it once a year
Lives change. A birthday or New Year's Day is a good moment to reread and update what you've written.
Free tool
Stuck on what to say?
Most people freeze at the blank page. Start with one specific memory and write three sentences about it. Then answer just one more prompt. Our full guide has example openings and a structure by relationship.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Your draft is saved only in your browser's local storage on this device, so it is still there if you close the tab. Nothing is sent to Sealkept unless you sign up and choose to save it there.
Handwriting is lovely if you can, and you can copy your draft out by hand. A typed copy is easier to keep safe, update and deliver, so many people keep both.
Yes, and many people do. New parents, people who travel and anyone who simply wants peace of mind write letters 'just in case'. Writing one does not mean you expect to need it.
Somewhere it will be found at the right time and not before. Options include a sealed envelope with your will, with a trusted person, or a service like Sealkept that keeps it sealed and delivers it only if you stop checking in.
There is no right length. A few honest paragraphs often mean more than several pages. Choose the 'Brief' tone if you want help keeping it short.
Related reading
Related reading
- JournalHow to write a letter to someone you're estranged from, now or for laterA good reconciliation letter takes responsibility for your part in plain words, asks for nothing, and leaves the door open without pushing. If the person is alive and it's safe, consider sending it now, while they can answer. A letter left for after your death should only ever comfort, never settle scores or reopen wounds.
- JournalQuestions to ask your parents before they die: 90 to start withAsk your parents about their childhood, how they fell in love, their work, the hard times they got through, what they believe, their practical wishes and what they remember about you. Ask one topic per visit, record the conversation with their permission, and write the answers down afterwards so they can be shared.
- JournalHow to write something to be read at your own funeralA letter to be read at your own funeral works best when it takes 2 to 4 minutes to read aloud, roughly 300 to 500 words. Thank people, share a memory or two, say what mattered to you, and give everyone permission to laugh and carry on. Ask the reader in advance, and keep a copy with your funeral wishes so it's found in time.
- JournalWhat to write in a goodbye letter (and what to leave out)A good goodbye letter is one honest page that includes a specific memory, what the person gave you, permission to grieve and live on, a small hope for their future, and the plain words “I love you”. Leave out old arguments, binding instructions and passwords, which belong in a separate practical note.
- For new parentsLetters and videos for your children that open on the birthdays you choose.
- JournalBirthday letters for your child after you die: a practical systemTo leave birthday letters for your child in case you die, write a small set for key ages such as 5, 10, 13, 16, 18, 21 and 30, keep them short and specific, and set each one to arrive on the birthday it was written for. Tell a trusted adult the letters exist. Sealed paper copies with a guardian are an optional extra.
- JournalLetters before deployment: what to write to your family, just in caseA letter before deployment is a just-in-case letter for the people you love, written so they have your words if you don't come home. Write one to each person, keep it short and specific, and leave it somewhere it will be found, alongside your military's own paperwork, such as a will, emergency contact records and life insurance beneficiaries.
- JournalA letter to your grandchildren: what to write, with examplesA good letter to your grandchildren tells them where they come from, shares a few family stories only you know, names one or two values you hope they'll carry, and tells each of them what you love about them. Write separately for young and grown grandchildren, keep it to a page or two, and record yourself reading it so they can hear your voice.
- JournalHow to write a letter to your parents: one to give now, one just in caseA good letter to your parents thanks them for specific things, not general ones: a meal, a drive, a sentence they said at the right time. Write one to give now while you can watch them read it, and, if you want, a short just-in-case letter that tells them what they gave you and gives them permission to keep living well.
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