Die Without Regrets | Letter to a Friend #9

Hey friend,
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Well, I haven't moved into the truck yet (it won't start), but we did move out of our house and I'm now staying at my brother's place for a few days until we get the truck figured out. Leaving the house and living apart from my roommates for a few days already has me thinking a lot about community and family.
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My own family life was pretty messed up. Parents divorced at 14 and haven't seen my dad more than a month a year on average since then. Mom was too busy providing for my brother and I to be too involved in anything (not that I really wanted her involved in anything at the time), and my brother and I got on each other's nerves more often than we got along.
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I've certainly had very close friends since then, but there is something about living with people that changes the dynamic entirely. And now, having moved out and not seeing my roommates for just a few days, I already miss the camaraderie that comes with going through life together. So much so that it inspired me to write hand-written letters to people that used to be very involved in my life.
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In these letters, I expressed to them how deeply I appreciate everything they've done for me and their presence in my life, with the only goal being to bring a smile to their face and to remind them of how much they mean to me in the most genuine way possible.
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I have been wanting to do this for a while, but never made the time until now, and I have to say it felt incredible. It might be weird that this is the first thing I think about, but I feel like now I could die and not worry that I never made it clear to those people how much they mean to me. It is a surprisingly peaceful feeling. 😂
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So I suppose my message today would be a recommendation to try the same. Think of 2-3 people who have had an immensely positive impact on your life but whom you haven't appreciated in a while. Maybe 2-3 people who you would regret not saying more to before you die. And just write them a letter and mail it to them.
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It takes longer than writing an email or text, but the results, even just for yourself, are worth it.
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Happy writing!
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See ya next week,
Ryan