The Good-bye Letter, Part 7

In the past fews blogs, I’ve been writing about a good-bye letter from a dying parent to his or her child. In this blog, I’d like to expand that idea.

The good-bye letter could be from the dying person to a niece or nephew, a godchild, or any child who is special to him or her.

The good-bye letter could also be written to a spouse or partner. In writing this letter, I encourage you to write the most loving, sensual, thoughtful, intimate letter that you have in you. Don’t hold back. Tell the person what they mean to you and how you will always love them.

I also encourage people who are dying to write good-bye letters to their friends. Again, don’t hold back. Tell them how much you value their friendship and why. Talk about special memories, how they helped you through times of hardship, or how they provide  a mirror so you can see and understand yourself more clearly because of your friendship with them.

I recently read a novel about four women friends. At the beginning of the book, one of the women is dying. She has written a journal for each of her three friends. Throughout the rest of the book her friends are referring to their individual journals from her in an effort to cope with their loss. They also use the journals to find answers to major questions in their own lives through the words she’s written to them.

I love this idea of a journal. However, this is completely overwhelming to most people. I encourage you to start with the short instructions in the first blog in this series. The simplicity of this letter provides the receiver with a tangible memory of you, and a lasting memory of your love.