Dear Mom, Soon Fred and I will be heading to Rochester, NY, for a celebration of Aunt Helen’s life. My cousin asked me to offer a prayer during the interment and this is what came to me. Dear Lord, Thank you for the blessing of Peter and Helen Rutan in our lives. They taught us…
February 26, 2025 Dear Mom, We live in a very discordant world right now. For that reason, I am focusing on my story of kindness and humanity. On July 15, 2024, my foot got stuck under the rod of the picnic table by Dockside and I splatted on the ground, breaking both my right wrist…
Dear Mom, It is a new year—2025!!! You left so long ago, but writing to you for eight years taught me that you are always with me. For that, I am very grateful! I was so saddened to hear of the death of your dear sister, my beloved Aunt Helen. She was a second mother…
Christmas Blessings By Helen Fernald Thank you, God, for your angels And for the angels in human form Who rush to help us When we are in need Thank you for your blessings That you shower upon us And for the blessings That we may offer to others Thank you for the bright lights That…
Dear Mom, I try to stay positive like you. My heart is filled with gratitude for all of the gifts and opportunities in my life. Yet today is a gray, drizzly, cold November day and I feel sad. My stomach hurts and I know that it is filled with all of the feelings that I…
Dear Mom, We did it!! We have been on a very special journey for twenty-five years and finally, after many years and tears, my book is finished. I am so grateful for all of the ways that you have helped me—through dreams, and visions, and sending me messages in many ways. You sent me a…
Dear Mom, When you died unexpectedly in 1992, I was heartbroken, not even sure I could continue. You were my rock, my strength when I was afraid; you offered hope in dark moments. I wasn’t ready for you to leave. Suddenly I was an orphan, alone in a frightening world. I needed you, but you…
“I just wanted to say to anyone whose mom has died that it’s hard. It’s really, really hard.” – Jimmy Fallon Helen Fernald, Wolfeboro photographer, writer and grief recovery mentor lost her mother very suddenly at the age of forty. Helen was heartbroken. Then she began writing letters to her mother. Eight years later she…
By Helen Fernald Have you ever lost someone who meant the world to you? When that person died, were you unsure you could go on? Perhaps it was a family member, your best friend, or your partner. It doesn’t matter. Did she die unexpectedly? Maybe he died after a long and agonizing illness. Whether we…
Dear Charlie, I miss you. I miss our Saturday calls. I miss your laughter. I miss you! We were lucky to have you in our family. You knew us all very well. You would spend an entire year going to book sales, looking for just the right books for each of us for Christmas. That…
