In 2013, my mam passed away. As you can imagine, this was a sad occasion for all the family. Sometime after, my brother found this letter in a box that my mam had put in one of her cupboards. It was the letter I’d written to her when I’d just moved into a Salvation Army Hostel in Rochdale.
This is the edited version:
‘Hi Mam,
Just thought I’d drop you a line to let you know how I’m getting along. This hostel (Salvation Army) is much better that the one in Salford. The staff and residents are really friendly and down to earth. It costs me £21 a week, and I get breakfast, dinner, tea and supper, all in. The food is the best I’ve ever had. I haven’t spoken to my housing officer from Manchester and District Housing yet….
I’m looking for a portable black and white TV: if you see a cheap one for about a tenner, let me know… Mam, I would really like to live up this way for the foreseeable future. I’m travelling around on my bus pass. Do not worry about me up here, because I’m fine…. I’ve asked Kev (my brother) to post my tobacco to me…
P.S. I bet you didn’t know I could write letters, did you?’
I remember reading this letter. It reminded me of where I’ve come from. It reminded me of how my life had been, which then made me realise how far I’ve come. To be honest with you, reading it brought a tear to my eye because I was so overwhelmed with gratitude to God for all that he has done for me.
Sometimes in life, it’s good to remember where you’ve come from.
When we do this, it can put a lot of things into perspective. It can help you see how far you’ve come and what progress you’ve made.
Often in the busyness of life it’s so easy to forget how far you’ve actually come. You may not have been given an old letter to read, but why don’t you take some time to remember where you’ve come from?
Barry