Recently, American poet Donald Hall died at the age of 89.  Writing was part of his DNA. Hall wrote poetry, memoirs, plays, short stories, magazine articles and children’s books.

But he also wrote letters.

Donald Hall wrote two books were about the painful experience he had dealing with the death of his wife, poet Jane Kenyon.  Hall confessed that he wrote “her letters after her death.  And writing her letters after her death gave me the only sort of happiness of the day.  I felt in communication with her somehow, not supernaturally, but poetically.”

But you don’t have to be a poet laureate to feel the release of grief by writing to a loved one.  Janet sent me a letter at 1:15 this morning.  It’s a beautiful letter to her father.  And the beauty is that she can continue to write him letters and feel the comfort of him whenever she needs to quiet her tears.

Thank you, Janet, for sharing your letter:

Dear Dad,

It’s been eight years since you’ve gone.  But it never gets easier for me.  I miss you so very much.  You are the best dad ever.  No one can ever love me like you.  Your death has totally changed me and my life.  I miss every moment we spent together.  I wish you didn’t have to go.  It makes me very sad when I see that you aren’t with my during the important events of my life like my graduation ceremony.  I want you to see how much I’ve grown up.  Your little daughter isn’t small anymore.  But I’ll always be your princess.  I love and miss you to the moon and back.  I long to meet you again.

— Your little girl. XXXXXXXXXXXX

If you would like to share a letter and encourage others to do the same, please send your letter to Letters@LastGoodbyeLetters.com.