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[blank]A letter to a cherished friend who sets off to the other side of the world today, and who I may not see again for a very long while …… somehow sending her a letter, anonymously and yet publicly, is easier than slipping an envelope into her suitcase …..[blank]
My friend,
You are embarking on a new chapter in your tumultuous life. We stand by, on the quayside. We have helped you pack your stores; prepare your journey and map your route, supporting and encouraging you all the way. But today, as the moment finally comes for you to lift anchor and cast off we are strangely useless; unable to assist as we watch you set sail, and we tremble to think of the stormy waters that you must surely cross.
You blew into our lives like an unexpected and enchanting tumble weed. You charmed us into a rapid friendship. You were generous with your time, with your affection, with your belongings, and happy to accept our offerings in return.
A shared friendship without judgement– you have that rare and fine gift of accepting people as they are.
We have laughed together, cried together, we have comforted each other and sought mutual advice; we have driven for miles, ridden for miles and talked the whole way through. We have shared joys and sorrows, but all the time I have known that behind those green eyes there was a tugging sadness that I could not mend.
I introduced you to new friends, and helped you find a fresh direction in life, – not too hard a task with talents such as yours. But for you, when the going gets too good, it is no good.
And just as the ball starts rolling, you have to move on.
I observe helpless, slightly frustrated ….”what if …..” Your image in my mind floats between friend, and little sister … that is the effect you have on people .. you catch us off guard … you surprise us with your candour, and – behind your energy and brave front – we sense your fragility and want to protect you.
And so today you go.
I wish you well, my friend. I wish you happiness and success and most of all I wish you peace. Our door is always open.
A bientôt,
ton amie
xx
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38 comments
Very heartfelt. You and your friend have a once in a lifetime friendship that will stand the test of time.
I can only send a long-distance hug of support. Your verse is simple, moving and yet profound. Thank you for posting this.
A beautiful letter, made me quite teary. Thanks for posting it.
Sharon this is sooo beautiful. She/he sounds like someone who needs to keep moving who doesn't let the grass grow beneath her feet for long. A restless soul. Have a friend just like that, cannot keep her down. Now she works for National Geographic and has found her calling…she moves non stop. This letter is one worth keeping, its sad and poignantly endearing at the same time. Its like having to let go of someone that you know needs to go but someone you want to keep near to you at the same time. Thanks for sharing….and best of luck to your friend in this next chapter of his/her life.
That's a beautiful letter. Heartfelt, moving and an excellent description of his/her soul.
These friends are hard to come by, they nurture our life, they are treasures we'd like to keep close by. You've both been blessed by this friendship. However, their very nature compels them to keep moving on in search of new quests. Pinned down they would surely shrivel and suffer.
Thanks for sharing with us. All the best for all parties involved.
A lovely letter Sharon, and a magical friendship indeed. Best wishes to all.
xo Nancy
Powellbrowerhome.com
This is so lovely.
touching and beautiful Sharon. Sending you a hug!
XO Sarah
Sharon you have sent your dear friend off with a beautiful letter. I, too, wish her well and peace to you. Bonnie
Dear Sharon,
You have exposed your soul in this truly exquisite letter to your friend. Wonderful life blessings to you and your friend as this world continues its along its way.
Kind regards, Laura
What a touching letter to a dear and lovely friend! It tugs at my heartstrings reading your farewell letter. I'm sure no amount of distance will ever be able to take away all the love and cherished moments that you've shared together. I wish her/him well on this new journey and hope he/she can find the peace and happiness they are looking for. 🙂 I'm sure a very sad day for you…
A friendship without judgement, nurturing, freely given, without the bindings of misconstrued obligations. What we give freely we get back ten folds or more. "Your door is open", the words which all true friendships are nurtured. Farewell but not good-bye. You're amazing. Thank you for sharing!
xx
Amelia
What a sweet friend you are. You welcomed her in to your life unconditionally. She is blessed.
this moving letter brought tears to my eyes, as your friend reminded me of myself….one of my latest post "where will home be next?" reflects only a minute part you describe of your friend, such a moving letter so beautifully written, i wish i had your writing talent xx
Sharon , beautifully written . If I was clever enough to express myself in this way , I would write a letter to my sister nearly this very letter in fact. For her too when things are good , sadly its no good. There is only so much one can do.
Karyn x
Hello Sharon,
A beautiful heartfelt tribute to one so rare. I am sorry she will be living away from you but know that her joy and memories will help somewhat. Until you meet her again may the angels keep her safe.
Helen xx
It is very sad to say goodbye to someone you might never see again.
So beautiful.
Very beautiful and sad.
Today is my brother's birthday who died very tragically and our parents after that leaving me a refugee in America with my darling son in Europe.
It's incredible how much life can change in ways you'd never imagine, and with those changes you see many people in an entirely new light.
I hope your friend finds what she is searching for and needs…
beautifully written. it is obviously a sad parting. hope you are ok.
Heart hugs to you…such a beautiful loving Heart you have….
I have a friend that feels to me as your friend does to you….
It is amazing how similar life experiences are….with compltely different people…
Thanks for putting into words the things Iw ill not be able to communicate to my friend either…
Hope that time mends your heart,
Betsy
Sharon
Your letter is so beautiful but so sad. As I get older I remember some special friends I once had but lost touch with as our lives took different paths.It does make me sad and I realise this is a part of life sometimes. I have a sister who needs to be sent a letter but some things are best left undone.
Betrayal, deceipt, lies, cunning, anger, sadness and loss are subjects best left out of letters.
Cheer up. I'm hoping your friend will keep in touch and you can plan wonderful reunions.
There is a lot of sadness in your beautiful letter Sharon and quite a story I feel….? People drift in and out of our lives and I do feel we reunite with those we are meant to. I was recently reunited with old school friends after almost 30 years – it had always been a great sadness that we had lost touch. Those I was particularly close to, I have happily found our friendship just picking up where it left off! Although many of our lives have gone in very different directions, that underlying close friendship from the past and shared sense of humour, memories and teenage experiences, still bonds us together. I wish your friend well in whatever she is searching for. She too has been lucky to have you as a friend, and I am sure you will see each other again before too long……
I am the runaway friend in this story. The incredibly touched and awed runaway friend. I thought about writing back to Sharon privately but she knows how I feel about her and I wanted to share with you something you probably already know, what an incredible lady she is.
Everything you wrote about our friendship is true. You welcomed me with widespread arms and I think our relationship is one of giggles and silliness but also one of acceptance and understanding. To be honest I don't think I could have made it these past months without you. You've always listened patiently (even when I suspect you wanted to smack me around a bit), jumped into every adventure, and very very importantly, fed me (side note, Sharon and everyone in her family are incredible cooks, it's almost creepy how delicious they make every meal). We all have flaws, some of us a large list of them, but you simply shine through your kindness, your humour, your boundless energy and pure class. And the fact that you care about me makes me very narcissistically think that I must be in some ways special too.
There is one thing that you got wrong in your letter to me though. We are not going to "not see each other for a long time". I may not be around physically but I will Skype, text, Facebook and email you until you get entirely sick of the constant access given by technology. I am a runner I know. It is not the first time that I have uprooted myself and left dustballs in my wake. I'm hoping this will be the last move but who knows. And I have burned bridges in my time, some joyfully and many in regret. But the time we have spent together has taught me the value of real friendship and I am committed to keeping ours going strong.
Now I do realise that this is going to add an extra strain on you. It's one thing having me show up unannounced at your house in my pajamas begging for tea. Stick a muffin in my mouth and I can be unobtrusive for a few minutes. But now I may well intrude electronically while you are chasing your chicken murdering beast, traipsing through dark flea markets, trying to organise your wonderful but demanding tribe, writing your blog, organising the world and wrangling Iris. The problem with being a superwoman is that people always expect you to take on more and I will probably add to the weight on your shoulders.
So what I think should happen, and I hope your readers will agree, is that sometime in the spring, your lovely family should pack you off solo to come visit me for a week. We can call it a working holiday, an anthropological pursuit, future material for your blog. But we all love a good sequel and I know that our story is going to make for a damn fine never-ending franchise!!
In the meantime sending you much love from across the ocean. The pups wave a paw too. Talk to you later 🙂
thank you sweet heart, speak later xx
This is beautiful, and a friendship like this will always stand the test of time and distance. When you meet up again, it will be like no time has passed at all, because you are soul friends.
Such a touching response to your lovely letter + arms around both of you. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com
Thank you for your full and candid heart and for sharing this au revoir to your friend. You obviously shared very special and important times. Sometimes people get so used to sorrow, that happiness can be a an uncomfortable guest. I know you will cherish one another's friendship for all time.
So touching and exquisitely written, as you do have the gift. She sounds like someone who is still finding her way and I wish her well.
Sounds like a special friendship and one worth making an extra effort for. Sounds like my first boyfriend/fiance, he could not sit still and I found out recently he is a very successful freelance photographer who travels the globe, never married, and I bet he is really happy. Some people need to spread their wings wider than others.
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Marita i Heestrand
Sharon, an absolutely beautiful tribute to a dear friend. This post brought tears to my eyes. How lucky this friend is to have found you, and oasis in the desert of life, to offer solace, comfort, sustenance, and love.
I hope that your friend finds what she is searching for.
Take care, Elizabeth
I don't have time (before my bedtime insisted upon by the most loving and wonderful husband); to read other comments!
what a lovely send-off by such a loving friend!
Just my opinion…..one can receive no more in life than that loving acceptance……..and then letting go!
I hope she (I am guessing here) knows what she is doing!
(who knew what she was doing? anyway!) I landed very safely into a pile of love and support……even extra children I had the pleasure of "bringing up"!!!
This is fascinating!
Such a moving post Sharon… i wish your friend all the joy in the world and I think of you as I can feel how much you will miss her… xv
Tears are rolling down my cheeks! You have a gift Sharon. So touching, so heart felt, with so much compassion. And in reply so many wonderful friends have written much – such understanding and supportive words – I agree with them all. Wishing both you and your special friend love and peace, and may the sun shine on you both.
I have just come back on line after a month off all things cyber – enjoying our beautiful summer down under! So i am catching up, in one delicious session, all posts since jan 1!! Your letter is as beautiful as your friendship must be…. …Thankyou for sharing
There is a lot of sadness in your beautiful letter Sharon and quite a story I feel….? People drift in and out of our lives and I do feel we reunite with those we are meant to. I was recently reunited with old school friends after almost 30 years – it had always been a great sadness that we had lost touch. Those I was particularly close to, I have happily found our friendship just picking up where it left off! Although many of our lives have gone in very different directions, that underlying close friendship from the past and shared sense of humour, memories and teenage experiences, still bonds us together. I wish your friend well in whatever she is searching for. She too has been lucky to have you as a friend, and I am sure you will see each other again before too long……buy gw2 gold
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Lucky person this is to have you! (I just thought I was finished!)
Friendships are life-transforming; and life-enhancing!
Bravo! You have done your part!
what a lovely message. I will save it forever!
Penelope