Latest / The Letterbox Podcast / Dear Grandpa | A Letter About Grief, Losing a Grandfather & Carrying On Their Legacy

Transcript

Dear Grandpa | A Letter About Grief, Losing a Grandfather & Carrying On Their Legacy · The Letterbox Podcast

• 0:00
  Hello and welcome back to the Letterbox Podcast.
• 0:03
  I'm Lucy. And this is the place where
• 0:06
  people share their real stories, written in their own words,
• 0:10
  capturing the moments, relationships and emotions that
• 0:13
  have shaped their lives. Today's letter has come from
• 0:19
  Eileen. She's a writer from Switzerland,
• 0:22
  and she told me that this letter is one that she has been wanting
• 0:25
  to write for some time now. She described how the last few
• 0:29
  years for her have been tough with many ups and downs that she
• 0:34
  just calls part of life. But one of those toughest
• 0:37
  moments for her was losing her grandpa back in September 2022.
• 0:43
  He was her hero, and she talks about how hard it was to lose
• 0:47
  him and how tough it is still now at times.
• 0:50
  Eileen said She's so happy to be able to share this letter with
• 0:54
  the broadcast. And Eileen, I'm so thankful that
• 0:57
  you have trusted me with your words and your emotions because
• 1:01
  I know it's going to be so reflective of anybody else who
• 1:04
  has unfortunately been through a similar grief just before I read
• 1:09
  the letter. Don't forget, if you are new
• 1:12
  here or you haven't yet pressed the follow button, please click
• 1:16
  it now. It only takes a moment, but it
• 1:18
  does so much to support the podcast.
• 1:21
  And if you can think of somebody who you think might enjoy the
• 1:23
  podcast, please do send them a link or tell them to come and
• 1:28
  have a listen. It really does make such a
• 1:30
  difference and really helps the podcast to grow.
• 1:32
  But enough from me for now, because it's time for Eileen's
• 1:37
  letter. Dear Grandpa, how is it up there
• 1:45
  in heaven? It's been 4 long years and with
• 1:50
  every day that goes by, I think that it will get easier.
• 1:56
  It hasn't. You meant the world to me, and
• 2:00
  still do so often. I want to sit beside you on the
• 2:05
  back porch again. Talk about life.
• 2:11
  It was always so easy to talk to you.
• 2:16
  You had great advice and wisdom that always helped me in the
• 2:19
  midst of my struggles. There are so many things I wish
• 2:23
  I could tell you. Like my family's new apartment,
• 2:27
  the home of our dreams in the mountains, where there is beauty
• 2:31
  and peace all around us. Or my latest breakup, The
• 2:40
  hardest of all. I thought I was going to marry
• 2:43
  him someday. Turns out we didn't want the
• 2:46
  same things. Or my summer job, a dream job,
• 2:51
  working on the mountain. Oh Grandpa, all the stories I
• 2:55
  wish I could tell you. All the people I have met.
• 2:58
  I wish you could meet all of them.
• 3:00
  You'd have so much to talk about.
• 3:04
  I remember when we went for bike rides, went strawberry picking,
• 3:07
  or when you just stopped by for a cup of tea.
• 3:11
  You always saw me and loved me for the person I was and
• 3:14
  celebrated the little winds with me.
• 3:18
  I never had to prove myself to you.
• 3:23
  Why did you have to leave? I'm all grown now and there's
• 3:29
  still times where I feel like a little girl eager to visit her
• 3:33
  grandpa again and bounce on his lap.
• 3:37
  Only then do I realise that it will never be again.
• 3:42
  Why did you have to go so soon? I miss you so much and what I
• 3:48
  wouldn't give for one more day with you.
• 3:54
  I will always treasure you and our memories in my heart.
• 4:01
  Maybe someday I'll see you again in heaven, and for now, I will
• 4:07
  give my best to be you here on earth, Grandpa.
• 4:12
  The person who cares about others, listens to them with
• 4:16
  true care and interest, and loves people for who they are,
• 4:21
  making them feel seen, known, and appreciated.
• 4:27
  That's your legacy, Grandpa, and I will carry it on.
• 4:35
  Your granddaughter, Eileen. Thank you again, Eileen, for
• 4:44
  sending that in. It really was such a lovely,
• 4:48
  heartfelt letter. And I really can picture what
• 4:51
  your life might be like over in Switzerland and what your
• 4:54
  relationship with your grandpa was like.
• 4:57
  And I'm sure he is so proud that you are carrying on with the
• 5:02
  same loving spirit that he clearly lived with.
• 5:08
  If you would like to hear more from Eileen or read more of her
• 5:12
  writing, you can find her Instagram page at Hopeful Words,
• 5:17
  which I will link into the show description.
• 5:20
  Thank you so much again for listening to the Letterbox
• 5:23
  podcast. If you haven't already, please
• 5:26
  do press the follow button. And really importantly, if you
• 5:31
  can share it with someone else, that would mean the absolute
• 5:34
  world to me. If you have a letter that you
• 5:36
  would also like to send in and remember it can be about
• 5:40
  absolutely anything that is meaningful to you, then you will
• 5:45
  find the e-mail address in the show description.
• 5:47
  So please send me an e-mail and I would love to chat.
• 5:52
  Until next time, take care, I'm sending you so much love.