Grief letter 3: Here’s what you will miss…

This is the third of three letters about grief. One of my sisters, Susan Matadobra, passed away in March 2023. She was 63 and passed away from complications of chronic kidney failure. One exercise to help with grief is to write letters to that person.

Here is a bit on how this process works: The letters are not to be done all at once, but one at a time. The first letter is about anger toward the person who is gone. You write it, then reread it and sit with it for a week. After the week, you write the second letter, which is about the sadness of the loss. Then you reread and sit on that letter for a week.

The third letter is a little bit different because it is future-oriented and speculative. The idea behind it is essentially telling the person who is no longer around that this is me in the now and what you’re going to miss out on. It’s a different type of letter. But the aspect of it is that it is forward-thinking.

Above: Kate, Robert & Susan Brooklyn, NY circa 1973

Grief letter 3: Here’s what you will miss…

Dear Susan, I wish you were here. I miss you. I wish I could give you a hug. Here are the things you will miss about me and my world. I am continuing to connect, reach out, and be with people. One thing that you knew when I was growing up was how hard it was for me to have friends. How hard…