Someone asked recently if a goodbye letter (or any letter) should be written in one sitting to “get all the feelings out and onto the page.” While this may work for some people, others find that writing the letter over time can be helpful.
Writing a goodbye letter, whether to a loved one, a friend, or even a chapter of your life, is a deeply personal and often emotional task.
While the Workshops and Tutorials posted on this website are a great starting point, it can still be overwhelming to try to capture everything you want to say in one sitting. The good news is that it’s perfectly okay to write your goodbye letter in spurts. For some it might even be more meaningful that way.
Taking your time allows you to process your emotions fully. Grief, reflection, gratitude and acceptance often come in waves. When you write in spurts, you give yourself the space to capture those feelings as they come to you. You might find that your thoughts evolve over time, and what you write on one day might differ from what you feel a week later. This gradual approach can result in a more honest and complete expression of your feelings.
There can be pressure to “get it right” while staring at a blank page. Writing in intervals may reduce the feeling that you must do it all at once. It allows you to revisit your letter with fresh eyes which may help you write a more thoughtful letter.
Give yourself permission to proceed how it best suits you. Whether it takes days, weeks, or even longer, what’s most important is that the letter truly reflects your heart.
The one caveat is that you should not put it off indefinitely. The end result doesn’t have to be perfect, because it will be perfectly you!