JULY 2023 NEWS

Unsent Letter to My Dear Aunt Rosemary

Rosemary Bosley as the “Indian Princess” in the outdoor drama “Honey in the Rock” (circa 1961)

JULY 2023 NEWS

From the Joy Desk

Friday, July 28, 2023

In this issue:

Unsent Letter to My Aunt Rosemary

Music I’m Listening to

When my precious Aunt Rosemary passed away in February, a large chunk of my heart went numb. She was my idol, my inspiration, and the reason I love books, write books, and believe in fairies. This July, family and friends gathered on July 8 to celebrate this wonderful woman’s life.

She and my Uncle Mike met when they were cast as dancers/actors in the outdoor drama “Honey in the Rock” in the early sixties. “Honey” was a pioneering endeavor in the world of outdoor dramas. It was presented six nights a week in the summers at the Cliffside Amphitheatre located in Grandview State Park near Beckley, West Virginia. “Honey” is a musical drama about the birth of WV during the turbulence of the U.S. Civil War.

Today I’m sharing some of the stories I shared at Aunt Roro’s celebration.

Because of Roro, I am a schoolteacher like she was. Because of Roro, I love books and libraries like she did. Because of Roro, I wear my hair in a ponytail like she did. Because of Roro, I learned to dance. Because of Roro, I believe in angels and fairies as she did. I tried to crochet like she did, but I wasn’t that good at it. I’m not obsessed with cats like she was, but I take care of any cat that comes my way like she did. So much of who I am today is because Rosemary lived.

Something I’m obsessed with is reading and writing. I love writing in my journal almost daily, and I teach classes on journal writing. One journaling practice I teach is called “The Unsent Letter.” Simply explained, you write a letter to someone that doesn’t get sent to them in the traditional sense of an envelope with a stamp or hitting “send” on an email. Because the letter never actually reaches the hands of whomever it’s directed to, there is particular freedom in what you can write in the letter. You can write The Unsent Letter to whomever you wish and say whatever you want because they will never see it. It sounds like it might be a frustrating exercise but believe me it isn’t. It’s very cleansing and sometimes liberating, to write down words from the heart that never get delivered.

I have written many unsent letters over the years, mostly to people I love and miss. I usually compose these letters on the anniversary of their birthdays. It’s a chance for me to unburden my heart of its sadness and keep a dialogue open with some of the people I have loved more than anything on Earth. I write unsent letters as if I’m talking to the receiver on the telephone or in person. This is my unsent letter to Rosemary.

Thursday, July 6, 2033

Dear Roro,

I miss you so much it hurts. It hurts in places that I didn’t know could hurt. When I hear a Beatles song on oldies radio. When I see a random cat crossing the street. When I drive by any library. When I count to eight. But today is the day the Universe conjured and delivered you to us on planet Earth. I’m forever grateful for that.

I finally sold the mermaid book I told you about. Because of COVID, publishing had slowed down, but a small publisher contracted it just last month. I wish you were here to read it.

I got a new job teaching creative writing online which will give me more time to write more books.

I’ll never forget the crafty way you taught me to read and write. I was devastated when Daddy moved us from Beckley where I saw you and Grandma Joy almost every day to Parkersburg where I was lonely and sad. I was six years old but not in school yet. There was no mandatory kindergarten in those days. I missed you terribly and you did two things to make me feel better. One, you drove to Parkersburg almost every other weekend to visit, and two, you sent me letters. I couldn’t wait to get your letters. I opened them and looked at the fine letters, but I didn’t know what they said. Mom read your letters to me until one visit you said to me, “If you learn to read, you can read my letters yourself.” Until that moment, I was content to play with Barbies and eat cheese sandwiches, but you changed all that. From then on, it was my mission to learn to read and write just so I could read your letters. Be more like you.

I’m still having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that I can’t pick up the phone and call you any time I want, but it is what it is, and I have to put up with it. For now, you’re in every day I live, every book I read, every student I teach, and every book I read to my precious grandson.

That’s it for now, sweet “Roro.” I hope there are a lot of cats in heaven and an endless row of library shelves filled with great books.

Love,

Joybeth

Music I’m Listening to

“Drive My Car” by The Beatles