I’m writing in response to Justin Myers’ article on the death of his friend (‘It was a bad dream – but I never woke up’: what it is like to lose your best friend, 18 September). This happened to me last year, so it’s still quite raw.
I’d known my friend since I was a baby, and four decades later she died of a heart attack. It is hard. When our close group of friends meet up, it feels like a part of us is missing, because it is.
She was cremated, and her mum keeps her ashes in her garden. I want somewhere to go to leave flowers, but feel weird asking her mum if I can come and “visit” her.
I’ve taken to private messaging my friend on Twitter, which sounds mad, but helps as I can tell her things that are going on and it helps me feel that she’s there (even though I know she’s not).
Everyone grieves differently, and friends can be as close as family – you can feel their loss as much as you do the loss of a family member. Maybe employers should take this into consideration.
Heather Lee
Manchester
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