Is there anyone reading this post who has not wished you could go back in time and say something to someone?
Thanks to the inspiration of Jackie Hooper, a 24 year old woman from Portland, Oregon, now you can.
The website, The Things You Would Have Said, has been up for a year and is filled with touching letters written by people of all ages and backgrounds who express a range of thoughts from regret to anger to sorrow to love.
Ms. Hooper was inspired to create this interactive website after learning of the death of Natasha Richardson in March 2009. After hearing the news of this famous woman she did not even know, Ms. Hooper said, “It made me start thinking about how quickly people come in and out of our lives, and how too often we wait to say something to them, and then it’s too late.”
Thus the inspiration to find an outlet for these unsaid words was born. She recognized that others must experience a similar desire to clear the air, or simply put down on the page what has been in their hearts too long.
She visited local schools and retirement homes and asked people to send her letters they wish they could send to others. These letters are now featured, one a day, on her site.
Some are funny, like this one written by a 9-year old boy:
“Dear Liam,
I never told you that I threw your frisbee on the roof. It was an accident. I was throwing it to you and it was windy and it curved. I was going to get you a new one but I couldn’t find the place. So I’m sorry.
From,
Erik, age 9”
But many are deeply moving, like the one titled “Stuffed Animals Are for Little Boys,” written by Tyler, age 20, to his favorite stuffed mouse named Ralph who was thrown away when Tyler was 13.
Be warned: these letters will touch your heart. Some might make you cry. But each is beautiful in its own way and worth the time to read.
I admire Jackie Hooper for creating this website. With it, she gives people a safe outlet for what can be so hard to say, and in turn, reminds us readers of the importance of saying what we want to say before it’s too late.
