The last letter

This Blog Post was originally published on adagia.org.

About two weeks ago, my grandmother was visiting my parents again. Since my grandfather died at the end of February, she visits about twice a month now. Every time she stays around a week at my parents' house.

I was in the middle of a paramedic duty, so I only had a small conversation between the car of my mother and me standing outside of it. After the usual catching up on our lives, she handed me an envelope. Tears in her eyes let me know it was from my grandfather.
I thanked her and put it into one of the many pockets of my paramedic uniform.

After the duty, I forgot to get it out, so it was until the next day I got to read it. After reading the date, I was a little bit shocked. It dated a few weeks before my grandfather died.

Apparently, he knew his end was coming and dictated a few last sentences to my grandmother. I immediately felt heartbroken again. It's a gift I never expected to get, a few words from a man I looked up to through my whole living. Every time I'm reading through it, I can hear his voice speak in my head, and I'm so thankful that I've got his last thoughts on our relationship.