Several days ago we said goodbye to a longtime member of the writing group.
The Speak Up writing groups bring people together—young and old, black and white, left and right. Every week we stop, pause, write to shared prompts, and listen to one another.
Over time relationships form. Not just relationships: actual friendships. People that you feel at ease with, people that feel like home, people that you want to see when you are feeling lousy.
One of those people is moving away. She first joined a year and a half ago.
So we did what you do when someone you love moves away: you tell them how much they mean to you.
The 12–16 writing prompts we work from every week are usually a random medley—ranging from the silly to the sacred. This week they were a bit more targeted, honoring our departing friend. We wrote about animals, the environment, meaningful relationships, art and justice, caring for the poor, blessing your neighbors, the importance of positive political activism, and so on.
At the end, some of us wrote “Dear Friend” letters and read them to her: raw snapshots of the great impact she’s had on our lives.
In my case, I’ve only met a couple of people as encouraging and as generous with their words as she has been.
She’ll leave a big hole in our weekly groups. She’ll leave a big hole in my life.
Afterward, eight of us went to a local restaurant.
As we leaned in around the table, I caught a glimpse of us through everyone else’s eyes. What kind of group were we? Young and less young, racially diverse, differently styled, variously shaped, some giggly, some stoic. Some of us had experienced homelessness, lived in shelters, been business owners, traveled the world, been born abroad. And yet there we were—connected by the writing groups—a strange, gorgeous motley family, laughing and sharing and breaking bread together. It was the best.
Dear Departing Friend: I’ll miss you! We’ll miss you! You made a difference just by being yourself and sharing that self with others.
—Matt Shaw