A letter for someone I love
Greeting
Why I am writing
A moment I want to keep
Something I learned
What I appreciate about you
Something I hope for you
Anything else I want to say
Closing words
Name or signature
A free letter to write in your own words
Legacy letter template
for someone you love.
There may be a small moment, a thank-you or a hope you would like them to keep. Start there. You can write to your grandchildren, your children or anyone who matters to you.
Optional starting points · Your own words · Text download · Browser printing · No account
Your words stay in this page's memory. They are not autosaved: refreshing or closing the page clears them. Download text or print a copy before leaving.
A few words they can keep
Write to a grandchild, child, friend or anyone you choose. Every field is optional. The prompts help you start; only the words you type appear in your letter.
What would you like this person to know today?
Choose one small moment together. What can you still picture?
Tell a story behind something you came to understand. Leave uncertain details uncertain.
Think of something they did that stayed with you.
Share a hope in your own words, leaving room for their choices.
A family saying, a tradition, or a thought you would like to leave with them.
Begin with one person and one moment
Picture who will read your letter. Describe something you remember together, then say what it means to you now. A short note is enough; you can leave any prompt blank and return to it another day.
Jay Sherwin's legacy-letter introduction, hosted by the University of Cincinnati's OLLI program, describes sharing experiences, values and hopes with people you choose. The starting questions in this tool are original MemoirWell prompts. No example letter or suggested answer is inserted into your writing.
Before you begin
Can I write a letter to my grandchildren here?
Yes. Write your own greeting, choose the prompts that fit, and add your name. You can also write to another loved one. Blank fields and prompt headings are left out of the finished letter.
Is this legacy letter template free?
Yes. Writing, text download and browser printing need no account, subscription or payment. Print or save PDF opens your browser's print dialog; available PDF options depend on your browser and device.
Where are my words saved?
Your text stays in this page's memory and is not uploaded by this tool. It does not use AI, autosave your letter or send it to anyone. Refreshing or closing the page clears your changes. Download text or print before leaving. You can edit the downloaded TXT in a text editor; this tool cannot reopen it as a filled form.
Do I need to answer every prompt?
No. One memory or a few words of gratitude can be your whole letter. Write what you want to say, read it back, and choose who receives a copy. The tool does not add prose, correct facts or decide when to share it.
Is there a story behind your letter?
Keep your letter first. MemoirWell's separate guided interview can help you develop one memory into a draft chapter to check and edit. Your letter is not transferred automatically.
Start a free first chapterDownload or print your letter before leaving this page.