I should inform you dear readers that my students as well as my late mother were the inspiration for this blog entry. About two months ago, I was teaching Infinitives of Purpose to my level 5 English class. The required material in the unit also included parts of the body and health issues. I decided to write a letter to my mother in heaven using Infinitives of Purpose in order to help my students grasp the grammar point as well as the targeted vocabulary.
GRIEF
There is a lot of available information on natural remedies for physical ailments such as headaches, nausea, insomnia, stress and sore throat. To relieve a headache, you take aspirin. To help a sore throat, you drink tea with honey. To cure insomnia, you drink warm milk. To help with stress, you exercise.
But what do you do for grieving? If you have lost someone close to you, then what is the remedy for that? What is the cure for grief?
There isn’t a single cure for grief and grieving in my opinion. You have to do many things in order to help the grieving process. One suggestion is to write a letter to the person you lost:
DEAR MOM IN HEAVEN;
HI MOM. YOU HAVE BEEN GONE FOR A YEAR AND A HALF. I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERY DAY. I MISS YOU SO MUCH.
IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT STAYING IN YOUR HOUSE WITHOUT YOU. EVERYTHING IN THAT HOUSE REMINDED ME OF YOU. I NEEDED A CHANGE OF SCENERY, SO I LEFT T YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER NOT TO BE SAD ALL THE TIME.
I MOVED BACK TO MEXICO LAST APRIL IN ORDER TO FEEL HAPPY AGAIN. I GOT A TEACHING JOB IN ORDER TO DO WHAT I LOVE. I LOVE LIVING IN MEXICO.
I WISH I COULD TELL YOU ABOUT MY WONDERFUL STUDENTS. I HAVE 139 OF THEM. THEY ARE AMAZING! I OFTEN FORGET SOME OF THEIR NAMES, BUT I TRY VERY HARD TO REMEMBER ALL OF THEM.
THEY ARE VERY INTELLIGENT AND GREAT ENGLISH SPEAKERS! THEY ARE STUDYING TO BECOME DOCTORS, NURSES, DENTISTS AND NUTRITIONISTS. THEY HAVE TO LEARN ENGLISH IN ORDER TO GRADUATE FROM THE UNIVERSITY.
IT HAS BEEN 13 YEARS SINCE I WAS TEACHING IN A CLASSROOM. I WASN’T SURE THAT I WOULD BE A GOOD TEACHER, BUT THE STUDENTS MAKE IT VERY EASY TO TEACH THEM. THEY ARE MY ANGELS.
IT HAS BEEN VERY HARD GRIEVING YOUR DEATH. AFTER YOU DIED I TRIED TO STAY BUSY IN ORDER NOT TO BE SAD. I SPENT TIME WITH MY FRIENDS. I DID VOLUNTEER WORK IN ORDER NOT TO MISS YOU.
I TALK ABOUT YOU TO MY FRIENDS AND THE ENGLISH TEACHERS IN ORDER TO KEEP YOUR MEMORY ALIVE. LAST CHRISTMAS I GOT TATTOOS TO HONOR YOUR LOVING MEMORY. YOU WOULD HAVE LIKED MY TATTOOS THAT I GOT FOR YOUR AND DAD.
I CONTINUE TO TAKE LOTS PHOTOS OF BIRDS AND FLOWERS TO HELP THE GRIEVING PROCESS. I GO FOR WALKS IN ORDER TO STAY FIT. I DO YOGA EVERY DAY TO STAY HEALTHY. I DO EVERYTHING I CAN IN ORDER TO MOVE FORWARD IN MY LIFE. I AM DOING MY BEST IN ORDER TO BE THE BEST PERSON THAT I CAN BE, BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT YOU AND DAD TAUGHT ME.
SINCERELY,
YOUR DAUGHTER KELLI