52 Reasons I Love You

Barbara told me that she and her dad had always loved playing cards. When he was dying, she got a deck of cards and covered each one with a reason she loved him. You always made me feel safe. You were man enough to have a tea party with me when I was five. You taught me how to jump off a diving board when I was ten. You taught me how to ride a bike, and the importance of being brave, which has served me all of my life. You always provided for me when I was growing up, and I’ve always known you would do your best to help me if I needed it as an adult.

This is such a meaningful, personal  activity and it’s one of those activities that works equally well either to or from the dying person. I didn’t know Barbara when her dad was dying. Imagine the gift she would have today if someone had helped her father make a set of cards for her. Or if he had had help writing a simple letter to her. And imagine the closure that would have given him.

These activities aren’t difficult. The person who is dying may just need a little help. It doesn’t matter how young or old we are. We all want to know 52 reasons our parents loved us.