Every now and then you open the paper and see a letter from a child that reads, “Can you help me? I am doing a project and I need…” You smile and think, “Sure, I can do that.”

I hope you feel the same way, because today I am that little kid. I am doing a project and I would appreciate if you would send me a love letter.

A love letter, Mary? Yes, as an entrant in one of the largest art shows in the country, I wanted a project that would involve thousands of people touching the hearts of thousands of others. Inspired by the work of Global Love Letters (http://globalloveletters.com), a movement where people write anonymous love letters and leave them in random places for others to find, my hope is to display two giant love letters with thousands of others — written expressions of love, hope, gratitude and encouragement — hidden throughout the City of Grand Rapids for anyone to find.

If it seems hard to write a letter to someone you don’t know, think of how much gratitude you feel for the person who paints the white lines on the edges of the road, making it easier to traverse the back roads of Port Orchard on dark, rainy nights. Or, check examples at www.facebook.com/loveletterproject for inspiration.

This little kid hopes you will then pick up and pen and send a love letter or two to the Love Letter Project, P.O. Box 111, Hopkins, MI 49328. Your love will make a difference, it always does. Thank you.

Mary A. Colborn | Hopkins, Mich.