Corey’s Letter to Me

In March of 2017, one of my best friends, Corey Davis, sent me a message asking if he could write a blog about his mother.  She unfortunately passed when we were in high school and Corey informed me that it was on his heart to write about her.  

Corey sent me his early draft and I responded to him by asking him to frame it as a letter.  There have been multiple students that I have taught who have lost their mothers and I asked him to write a letter that could be given to someone who recently lost their mother.  Corey accepted this task and began penning his letter. It was posted on April 23, 2017 and was titled  “A Letter from Corey”.

The response to the letter was heartfelt as many connected with his vulnerability and honesty.  Corey’s wife later explained to me that the therapeutic value of working through the memories and emotions of his mother’s loss were extremely beneficial to Corey.   What neither of us expected was the letter would soon be addressed to me. My mother passed away a year and 2 months later on July 3, 2018. The very letter I asked Corey to write to a student has now become Corey’s Letter to a best friend.  

He spoke directly from his heart to a student he didn’t know and now it feels as if he is speaking directly to me.  Corey’s description of his experience, feelings, struggles, and ways of handling the tragic passing of his mother have comforted and helped validate all the feelings I have experienced during my loss.      

“Every loss in your life will spark an emotion, but there will always be losses of loved ones who simply cannot be replaced or forgotten.  My mother and your mother will never come back and the pain, hurt, regret, and anger that comes with that reality will never go away. However, the love, passion, and joy our mothers gave to us while they were alive will never fade away either.  The only way to survive this loss is to constantly remember the positive memories, experiences, and feelings we received from our mothers.”

-Corey Davis

My Mother always stressed the importance of following your inner voice.  She felt it was guidance from the divine and listening to it would lead you in the right path.   Corey listened to his and decided to reach out to me about writing something for his mother. I listened to mine and decided to have him frame it as a letter.  By both listening, we unknowingly created a letter from my best friend that is helping me navigate the path of losing my Mother. Coincidence? Lynn W. Bacchus would think not.