Dear Reader,
A big “thank you” to Ben from Co. Wexford!
Ben’s letter addressed to me at Lilac Letters arrived on a day so wet it was of Monsoon proportions. It was a ray of sunshine in a little brown envelope and it brought the greatest pleasure to get to know for a while, a person with whom Carol’s story had made a connection.
I firmly believe that each and every letter placed at a carefully chosen location is genuinely intended for the person who finds it or someone they might pass it on to.
Ben had found a lilac letter in Rathdrum by a stream in the Parnell Memorial Park. If you live in the heart of Wicklow near the Vale of Avoca, then you’ll know how tranquil this lovely little park is. On the day I placed the letter there, the sun and rain were pretty evenly matched. It was one of those days that if you mingle with the tourists and have a fresh look around, you can imagine yourself as one of them for a while.
A number of days after my visit Ben found himself in Rathdrum with time to spare. It was raining heavily but his hardy dog needed to stretch his legs (rain or no rain) and so he took him for a run around the park. He noticed a soggy bundle of lilac paper disintegrating in the rain and something compelled him to pick it up. I got such a laugh when I read that he had to dry off the paper on his car heater all the way home – so much for my lovingly chosen lilac vellum and matching paper-lined envelope!
Ben said he’d prefer not to have his letter re printed here on the web site but had no problem with the circumstances of his finding it being recounted. I’m happy to say that the letter did bring to mind for him, friends he had not heard of or thought of in a long time and that’s all it needed to do. It can do no harm spending a few moments remembering friends and acquaintances who touched our lives however briefly. Even a thought or a memory is a reconnection. One day a thought can lead to a word and a word to a letter ………..and who knows where that can lead.
Some of you may find and read a lilac letter and maybe it’s even prompted you to purchase some nice writing paper and envelopes of your own (I don’t mind if you choose lilac). Others may have passed it on to someone else for whom it likewise affected. I’d love to know. Just a few words outlining the circumstances of finding the letter would be sufficient. From the few pages Ben sent by post I detected he was a warm hearted “youngish” (his words) man who
thoughtfully made the time to complete the circle.
Looking forward to hearing your story,
Kate.
P.S.
Many years ago on St. Patrick’s Day, Carol and I used to go driving through the Vale of Avoca in my Dad’s car which I would borrow. A VW Beetle, she called it “The Blister Beetle”. Why it was St. Patrick’s Day I’ve no idea but it began a tradition my family carry on to this day. In a different make and model of course and not nearly as imaginative a name!