Unsent Letter Template: Say What You Couldn't Say Out Loud

A letter you'll never send is the safest place to say everything to an ex, a parent, a friend you lost touch with, someone who died, or your younger self.

The template's own note: No one will read this. That's what makes it safe to say.

The questions

1. Dear...
2. What I never said
3. What I wish you knew
4. What I'm choosing to release

How to answer them

• Start with the name, and the first sentence that comes. It doesn't need to be the right one.
• "Never said" is for the unfiltered version. Polite comes later, or never.
• End with release, even if it's partial: "I'm letting go of needing you to apologize."

Example

An example of a filled-in entry:

Dear...
Dear Maya,

What I never said
When you moved away without telling me, I pretended I didn't care. I did.

What I wish you knew
I still think about our summer road trip every time I hear that song.

What I'm choosing to release
Waiting for you to reach out first.

Unsent Letter is one of the Emotions templates, which are always free. You can lock Daykept with a PIN, Face ID or fingerprint if you want an extra layer of privacy for letters like this.

Use it in Daykept

1. Open Daykept and tap Settings in the bottom bar, then Templates.
2. On the Gallery tab, find Unsent Letter (it's in Emotions) and tap Use now. A new entry opens with the questions in place.
3. Want it one tap away? Tap Save to keep it in My Templates. Daykept also suggests the templates you used most recently at the top of a blank new entry.

It's one of the 14 free templates in the Gallery. You can also edit your own copy (reword a question, drop one, add one) and save it as your own template.

Frequently asked questions

Who can I write an unsent letter to?

Anyone: someone who hurt you, someone you miss, someone who died, a past or future version of yourself.

Should I ever send it?

That's up to you, later. Write it as if no one will read it. That's what makes it honest.

More templates like this

Grief & Loss · Anger Journal · Free Writing.

Want the bigger picture? Read unsent letter journaling, or see everything else Daykept does.