TO WRITE: A Farewell
I'm reading Natalie Goldberg's new book on memoir writing, Old Friend from Far Away. (If you've been reading long, you know I'm a big fan.) As in many of her books, she offers lots of writing topics and ideas, and this one's from her today, with my paraphrasing.

Write a goodbye letter to someone. It could be after a divorce, when a friend moves across the globe or a relative dies. Tell them every last thing you have to say -- this is your last opportunity. You may have complaints, praises, specific awful incidents or glowing memories to share. Get it all out. As Natalie almost always adds: "Ten minutes. Go."

Then (and this is Beth again), consider how you feel. Stirred up, relieved, sad, glad, depressed, lighter? Are there other people, leaving or not, that you'd like to write to? Letters, of all different kinds, can be a powerful way of releasing pent up emotions and ideas. Let yourself go when you write them -- you can decide later whether to rip them up, burn them or send them.