Dear Larry:

It was the day of the big game.  “Game of the Century” the football sports reporters were touting.  Our team was defending our unbeaten and #1 ranking against our arch nemesis.  Our season was depending on this game as we had National Championship withing our reach.  This hurdle was standing in our way.

You would have loved this scenario.  It was the alignment of all of the football planets!  It was building to an exciting crescendo and we were all gathering to support our team.  Everyone was coming over, even the twins, all dressed in our school’s purple and gold and screaming encouragement.   It was the exact family chaos that you waited for and enjoyed every moment.

As usual that morning, I went to the post office to gather our company mail.  As I stood there sorting junk in one stack, checks in another, bills in a third I saw the postcard. I really just glanced at it and put it in its own stack.  I discarded the junk, prepared the checks for deposit and decided to deal with the bills on Monday.   I looked at the postcard and doubled over in agony.  It was as if today you sent me this postcard.  It was exactly something that you would say.

Remember when my father died?  I flew up to get my mother to bring her to bury him at home.  We left early in the morning to be sure we arrived in time for the flight but to also give her time to not be rushed.  I told her that we would get to the airport early enough to have breakfast there.

We arrived at the airport, checked in and made it through security.  We looked for the nearest restaurant that was not fast food and made our way to a table.  The waitress put our menus in front of us and I gasped at what I saw.  Then I laughed and pushed the menu to my mother for her to read.  I said, “Leave it to Daddy to put his request in writing”.  The menu read TAKE CARE OF YOUR MOTHER.  As she took in what was happening around us, I glanced above her head only to have to gasp one more time.  Right above her head, and I had not noticed this before, was a poster of Audrey Hepburn.  My mother’s name is Audrey! 

I was so shaken with the COINCIDENCES that I called my brother.  He and his daughter were waiting near the airport to receive my father’s body and escort it to the funeral home.  I told him about the menu message and the poster, and the phone went silent.  Hello?  Hello?   He told me, after taking a moment to catch his breath, that he and his daughter were in a diner 600 miles away from us having breakfast and above his daughter’s head was a poster of Audrey Hepburn.  Another coincidence?  I am beginning to wonder.

On that morning at the post office, I took in what was written on your postcard.  It was a picture of a pedant.  On the side was written “I Love You” and the pendent was engraved with:

Priscilla

I loved you then,

I loved you still.

I always have,

I always will.

Larry

This sounded exactly like you!  You would have written this and then complained about its simplicity, but would have given it to me anyway.

The reality was that it was an advertisement for husbands to buy this pendent for their wives.  The other reality is that you would have never allowed anything gold plated to touch my body!  I get it.  It was a sales pitch.  Plain and simple.  Still, it touched my soul with love and pain and the emptiness of losing you.

Coincidence?  I do not believe in coincidence.  I know it was you.

That afternoon our team fought to a stunning victory and will compete for the National Championship.  Everyone there told me that they felt your presence with us on that day.  We were victorious and you were there.   I believe that all of these things are signs from you.  You have sent me so many since you died. I believe that you want to continue to remind me that you are my guardian angel and that even now when I pray for you to protect me, you are still here. 

I love you.

Your wife,

P