J
Just_wondering
Guest
I would like to get back in touch with the parents of my late sister-in-law. She passed away three years ago, and I was in touch with them regularly over the first two years after her death.
After my sister-in-law passed away, her parents told me they felt like I was a surrogate daughter to them, as I was the same age as their only child. I tried to treat them like my parents, sending them flowers on Mother’s and Father’s days, and e-mailing or calling every week like I do with my own parents. At the time, they told me how much they appreciated my thoughtfulness and said it helped them with their grief.
They only ever answered my e-mails sporadically, which I attributed to their grief and not always being up to dealing with the outside world. About a year ago, they stopped replying to the e-mails altogether. I sent a few more messages after they stopped replying, but then as I wasn’t getting any responses I stopped.
I’d like to start e-mailing them again, but part of me is worried that I remind them too much of the daughter they lost. I don’t want to open up old wounds - they may have stopped answering because it was too painful to hear about my life knowing their daughter wouldn’t be able to do any of those things. I don’t know if I should reach out to them or not.
I’d like to let them know that they’re still important to me and I still love them. My brother has re-married now, and I don’t know if that’s a reason why they stopped answering my e-mails. I’d like to let them know I still pray for them, and that I still count them as part of my family.
What do you think? How do you think they’d feel if I e-mailed them out of the blue? (They’ve moved to a new city and I don’t have their number, so I can’t call them.) Would it be better for me just to pray for them from a distance?
After my sister-in-law passed away, her parents told me they felt like I was a surrogate daughter to them, as I was the same age as their only child. I tried to treat them like my parents, sending them flowers on Mother’s and Father’s days, and e-mailing or calling every week like I do with my own parents. At the time, they told me how much they appreciated my thoughtfulness and said it helped them with their grief.
They only ever answered my e-mails sporadically, which I attributed to their grief and not always being up to dealing with the outside world. About a year ago, they stopped replying to the e-mails altogether. I sent a few more messages after they stopped replying, but then as I wasn’t getting any responses I stopped.
I’d like to start e-mailing them again, but part of me is worried that I remind them too much of the daughter they lost. I don’t want to open up old wounds - they may have stopped answering because it was too painful to hear about my life knowing their daughter wouldn’t be able to do any of those things. I don’t know if I should reach out to them or not.
I’d like to let them know that they’re still important to me and I still love them. My brother has re-married now, and I don’t know if that’s a reason why they stopped answering my e-mails. I’d like to let them know I still pray for them, and that I still count them as part of my family.
What do you think? How do you think they’d feel if I e-mailed them out of the blue? (They’ve moved to a new city and I don’t have their number, so I can’t call them.) Would it be better for me just to pray for them from a distance?
