I gotta say, this might be one of my favorite ways of contending with parent loss. I don’t do it often enough.
Namely, writing to my dead parents.
I had a grand plan for my mom. I was going to write a letter to her every year on her birthday. And make her a cake.
The first year, the cake I made called for Cointreau. I drank so much of it while baking that I didn’t make it into work the next day.
Somehow, I did manage to write her a letter. I’ll dig it up and share it here once I do.
Over the years, I’ve kept up with the cakes. (Minus the booze.)
The letters, not so much. I resolve here to try to resurrect that tradition. For me. Perhaps for those who come after me, too.
Write a Letter, Write a Book
I didn’t set out to write letters to my dad. After he died, I decided I was going to write a book.
I’m still writing.
But once in a while I did/do find myself writing directly to my father in letter form.
I admit that I’m not as good at it as I wish I were. But whenever I do manage to write to letters to either of my parents, it helps me feel connected in a very special way.
In case my writing to my dead parents helps inspire you to write to someone you’ve lost, here are a couple from my archives:
Dear Papa, Valentine’s Day, 2018
2
