Ancestor Letters
Last year, when our first child was born, I wanted to share the news with my Dad.
Even though it’s been more than 30 years since his passing, I wanted more than anything to pick up the phone and tell him he was a Granddad.
I couldn’t help feeling how immensely unfair the whole situation was. After years of working through the pain of his loss, I thought I had it beat. Then a major life event happened, and it reminded me that grief is everlasting.
You can work through the pain, but you won’t ever “beat” the loss. So, I decided to sit and write Dad a letter. I shared the news and put everything I would have told him in-person, on paper.
The experience was surprisingly cathartic. So much so, that I decided to write a few more letters.
Now it’s something I do whenever the mood strikes. If someone pops into my head, I grab my notebook and get to writing.
“Every man has two deaths, when he is buried in the ground and the last time someone says his name.” ― Ernest Hemingway
These letters are my way of ensuring my ancestors continue living well beyond their time with us.