Family letters: 1980
Here are five letters and cards from 1980, the last year of Marcy’s life, plus a couple of non-letter items.
- January 7, 1980
- General life update from Peter.
- “we now have [a] really nice [housemate]: Ed, who’s an ex-Alaskan ex-helicopter mechanic, now going to massage school & Stanford pre-medical classes”
- February 14, 1980
- A valentine made by Jay, featuring a doily decorated to look like a pig.
- Spring, 1980
- Marcy didn’t often write poems. This one, about flying dragon kites, was for my brother.
- “My heart longs for the green hills[…]”
- May 11, 1980
- Appears to be a Mother’s Day card/collage made by Peter, for Helen. (But may have been made 30 years earlier, dunno.)
- July 19, 1980
- General updates from Marcy: missing Peter (who was away at a math class); seeing friends; notes about the flowers and birds; finding out we didn’t have to move; summer school; swimming lessons; more.
- “I’m beginning to learn to breathe.”
- September 22, 1980
- A brief postcard about Jay’s baseball photos.
- October 3, 1980
- In her final letter to George and Helen, Marcy describes our new piano, and invites G&H to come visit. The invitation gets a little silly.
- “We’d all love to see you, and hope you will accept this fine offer, Mr. and Mrs Hartfelt.”
- November 10, 1980
- The last known letter that Marcy wrote, written and postmarked the day before she died: a notecard, written to my uncle Paul and aunt Linda about the impending birth of my cousin.
- “I guess I’ve come to Orcas Island to be healed, but whether or not the physical healing takes place, a growth in spirit is already evident.”