There are only so many introductory letters to soldiers you can write before your brain’s Oscar convinces your mental Big Bird to burn down the street. Not that writing letters to soldiers isn’t a worthy time spender – just the initial one is soul draining.

How to sound thankful without being cloy, how to sound interested in a stranger without being cliche, how to introduce yourself without being boring or self-obsessed – writing an introductory soldier letter is a tough line to walk.

Or maybe I tend to over think things.

So when Skye told us we were going to spend Tuesday night writing letters to soldiers I was excited.

But also frightened.

Then Skye informed us we weren’t writing inside these cards – instead we were making homemade cards that the soldiers could use to write home.

Whew.

It turns out I’m great at making cards – I just can’t fill them.

This explains why I’ve never responded to my high school Austrian pen pal,