I just finished reading Dear Mr. You by Mary-Louise Parker. Its a wonderfully unconventional book of letters she has written to the men from her life: her late grandfather, her doctor, her son, ex-lovers, her father, etc. If you're looking to read something that is completely different from anything you've ever read-try this book.
But the reason I'm writing about it is because this book, like every book you read, inspires something within you. When you finish a book sometimes you want to cry, sometimes you want to laugh, sometimes you just want to sit and relish the moment. This book makes me want to write letters to people from my life. Here's my first one.
Dear Not My Father-In-Law:
I've been thinking about you a lot lately. Christmas does that to me, makes me think about people I haven't seen in years. Maybe its because I've always been to afraid to be more like you, more bold, more brave in the face of people thinking you're doing something crazy.
You always encouraged your kids to "go for it." You tried to get your son to go in for the kiss even though I was seeing another guy. You taught your daughter to be fiercely independent, she's so independent I'm surprised she even wants to stay living in the states!
I wish you were here to rig a windmill to my house and drink a beer with. You always had the best stories. I want to come visit you, but I feel like I'm no longer welcome as a member of the family like I was all those years ago. You were the first person I called "Dad" who wasn't biologically related to me and that's still how I think of you. My grief in your passing was fierce, like a child's, and my lashing out was the nail in the coffin of my relationship with your son.
You were one of the ones that makes us say "Only the good die young."
But the reason I'm writing about it is because this book, like every book you read, inspires something within you. When you finish a book sometimes you want to cry, sometimes you want to laugh, sometimes you just want to sit and relish the moment. This book makes me want to write letters to people from my life. Here's my first one.
Dear Not My Father-In-Law:
I've been thinking about you a lot lately. Christmas does that to me, makes me think about people I haven't seen in years. Maybe its because I've always been to afraid to be more like you, more bold, more brave in the face of people thinking you're doing something crazy.
You always encouraged your kids to "go for it." You tried to get your son to go in for the kiss even though I was seeing another guy. You taught your daughter to be fiercely independent, she's so independent I'm surprised she even wants to stay living in the states!
I wish you were here to rig a windmill to my house and drink a beer with. You always had the best stories. I want to come visit you, but I feel like I'm no longer welcome as a member of the family like I was all those years ago. You were the first person I called "Dad" who wasn't biologically related to me and that's still how I think of you. My grief in your passing was fierce, like a child's, and my lashing out was the nail in the coffin of my relationship with your son.
You were one of the ones that makes us say "Only the good die young."
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