Unsent Letter: Template and Examples
An unsent letter is one you write to someone who will never read it. This template is for a letter to a parent who died: six sentence starters, each with lines to write on. Nobody has to see it. It fits on one A4 or Letter page.
Examples of finished starters: "Thank you for teaching me to drive, even when I scared you." "I'm sorry that I missed your last birthday." "Since you died, I make your soup every Sunday."
What research says about writing after a loss, and what the first week and first year can look like: losing a parent.
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A letter they won't receive
Dear
Pick any starter, in any order, and finish it in your own words. Skip the ones that don't fit.
What I never got to tell you is…
I'm sorry that…
Thank you for…
I'm still angry that…
What I want to keep from you is…
Since you died, …
Keep it, burn it, or read it aloud to someone you trust. Nothing about this letter has to be done a certain way.
Writing can bring up a lot. If it gets to be too much, put the pen down and do something ordinary. In danger or thinking of ending your life: call or text 988 (US, Canada), call 116 123 (UK, Ireland), 13 11 14 (Australia), call or text 1737 (New Zealand), or your emergency number.
quietarium.com/en/grief/losing-a-parent/ · CC BY-NC 4.0 · self-help, not treatment
Free to print for your clients and students. Please credit Quietarium; not for sale.