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I understand! It’s hard to write a goodbye letter.

I have to admit.  I’m embarrassed.  I’ve been encouraging others to write goodbye letters to loved ones when they move away, get deployed, get married, move out of the house, or are close to the end of life.  But I let an opportunity slip by.

My elderly friend was moving out of state to a senior care facility.  She is a dear member of our family and I knew that I’d miss seeing her and chatting about things that I only read about in history books, but she actually lived through.  I tried to think about what to write to her in a letter.  Older people especially, I think, appreciate the written word.

I just stared at the page.

Photo courtesy of stock.xchng. Photographer: brokenarts

I even knew where to begin to write because I wrote a workshop on how to write a goodbye letter.  And right here on this blog I post tips on how to write your own letter!

I think I used the excuse of being too busy and making personal visits a priority over writing the letter.  But I will say, I regret not writing that letter.   I don’t want to have regrets in life.  Maybe I was too shy to give a letter to my friend in person.  Maybe I was afraid I’d cry.

In fact, I can still write her the letter and mail it. I may not be brave, but I can still use the old-fashioned US Postal Service and know that when she reads my letter, my friend will feel special and feel loved.

Don’t have regrets of your own.  Write a letter to a loved one.  And, if you feel so inclined, please share it with me for my Last Goodbye Letters project.  I need all the contributions I can get!