President Obama framed this year’s State of the Union address around a handwritten letter he received from a Minneapolis woman.
Rebekah Erler, a wife and mother of two, wrote to the president last March about her family’s economic struggles. Obama later visited Erler and penned a message of his own, saying he hopes more people will write to him.
Obama mentioned Erler’s letter throughout his Jan. 20 speech, citing her perseverance as a symbol for the nation. Erler sat with First Lady Michelle Obama during the remarks.
The president concluded his speech with another endorsement of letter writing, saying he wants future generations “to grow up in a country where a young mom like Rebekah can sit down and write a letter to her president.”