A Letter’s Purpose Can Be As Simple As “Thank You For Being My Friend”
This letter arrived with no explanation in my IN BOX. What I took away from reading this is that a letter can heal the writer whether the recipient receives it or not. Please read on (names have been changed): Dear Sunitha, This is the first letter I can remember writing to you. Obviously, I don’t […]
Where To Begin – How To Start Writing Your Goodbye Letter
Peter contacted me last week wondering how to start a letter to his ex-wife to tell her that he was dying and to express what their relationship had meant to him. Although there is a link at the top of the Last Goodbye Letters homepage on How To Write Your Own Letter, I thought it […]
Many People Can Ease Grief By Writing A Letter
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 about the painful experience he had dealing with the death of his wife, poet Jane Kenyon. […]
A Letter From Reece
This came across my desk a while ago. I thought it was a beautiful letter and wanted to share it. This shows that a letter doesn’t have to be written by a poet or professional author. This shows that a letter doesn’t have to be physically delivered to the intended recipient. Little Reece says it […]
Glen Campbell’s Wife Writes An Open Letter In Response To His Death
Back in the 1980s I was fortunate enough to meet Glen Campbell in person–in a green room before an interview. He had his guitar and asked me to sing with him. Now, EVERYONE knows EVERY word of EVERY song of Glen Campbell’s, but I was so nervous I couldn’t remember many. I was so embarrassed, […]
My Last Letter To Kim
Photo courtesy of Kim’s family It’s been one year since I wrote my last letter to my college friend, Kim. It’s taken me one whole year to post it. Now I understand why some people don’t want me to post their letters–it’s very personal. It’s very vulnerable. It seems so inadequate and I don’t want […]
A Farewell Tribute To A Furry Friend
Sometimes–often times–our best friends are of the non-human variety. While we love our pets and cherish them during their time with us, many of us realize the enormity of their companionship only after they are gone. Big or small, four legs or two, furry or feathered or scaled, animals make the world and our lives […]
BBC Radio’s The Why Factor Explores Why We Write Farewell Letters
I recently had an interview with BBC Radio’s The Why Factor as part of their story about why people write farewell letters. Thank you to my local public radio station, KJZZ Phoenix, for allowing me to use their studio for the interview. That story should be available to listen to live on Friday, October 14 at 9:30 […]
Tom Bodett Talks About “Realizing How Much That Letter Changed My Life”
I’m a fan of The Moth Radio Hour. If you ever have a chance to see a live Moth performance, you should treat yourself. However, most of the time I only get to listen on the radio. Today I heard episode 1412 which included a story by humorist Tom Bodett. In the narrative, Tom […]
As Our Children Graduate, Now Is The Perfect Time To Write Them A Letter
A lot of young people have just graduated from high school or college and are headed off into the big world–whether it’s on to work or college or the military or marriage and family or other adventures life brings. But with a wave of wistful nostalgia, many parents think back on their little children astounded […]