Be the person...

Whilst there is undoubtedly beauty in handwritten letters, one benefit of emails is that you can so very easily search your email file after someone has passed and hear their written voice again.

I had the pleasure of that this morning. More drops of salt water in my morning coffee, but beautiful ones. Happy ‘remembering’ tears.

“How wonderful that you keep on remembering me. What a lovely little gang you were. You will always have a special place in my memory and you have all, enhanced your lives so beautifully...”

I want to be the person who starts her email, or letters, with ‘Dear...’ and really means it. It’s become so overused, obligatory almost, that it‘s lost its true meaning. I don’t use it anymore. I found it too trite for friends and absolutely insincere for formal letters. In the notes I read this morning, however, you know that it was meant. Truly. I was dear, and I am so very grateful for it.

There I go wetting my cheeks again.

I wish I’d really understood the greeting at the time. I wish I’d responded with a dear and not the usual ‘Hi’.

She wrote with carefully picked words, every one of them individually selected and truly meant. Starting as you mean it, and signing off “...with affection...”. Telling it like it is...

Being gentle and humorous, but blunt and honest, when you’re a bit narked if you don’t get a timely response...

“I should be pleased if you could reply to this and confirm your whereabouts otherwise I shall have to send the tracker dogs after [mutual friend] to discover where you are. Heaps of love and lots of happiness your Very Old Teacher who is still gathering rosebuds.”

Honest.

Honest with your love.

Honest in your selection of words.

Be that person.

You will be remembered. You will be remembered, ever so fondly fondly, and your future generations will aspire to be like you.

There I go wetting my cheeks again.

As always, if you are feeling troubled, please consider whether you think you would benefit from getting relevant support. https://helplines.org/helplines/ Please also remember that it is important to safeguard yourselves as you try and be there for others. © Highcroft Writing 2022