Dear God Or To Whom It May Concern
Hello, my name is Stan. But then, if everything I’ve heard about you is true, I’m quite certain that you know who I am. As the night begins to chase the daylight from the sky, I take this opportunity to put pen to paper and ask for your help in a matter which I will now explain. Actually, I suppose the real reason for the creation of this correspondence is to request a favor of you.
I know that you must be very busy, and I’m certain that you find that there are not enough hours in the day to accomplish all that you have on your plate. After all, being in charge of everything that exists must be a very challenging job. I extend my compliments to you on your overall performance to this point, but now to the favor I mentioned.
I understand that two old friends may be staying with you. It is possible that Robin and David have come to stay at your mansion, which by the way I understand is quite spectacular, and I would like to ask that you pass along to them a message. I ask your indulgence in this matter as I am not sure any similar authored message directed specifically to them would find its mark.
As the all-knowing deity that you are, I find it difficult to believe that the two people I mentioned are not known to you and you must surely recall that Robin was my wife of 46 years and David, my son, who lived to be 38 years old. Now if there remains any confusion as to their identities, let me further jog your memory.
Robin came to stay with you 306 weeks ago; it was a beautiful warm Sunday morning. You may find her after the sun goes down seated in a chair with a book in hand. She loved to read. If you still can’t place her, she may scoop up from a bowl resting atop a side table hands of popcorn, salted but not buttered.
If not found seated in that chair with a book in hand, you might look to a country road. Robin loved to take long walks in the evening just as the sun began to set. She would be the brunette wearing the Adidas pants and Nike running shoes. The last time I saw her, those shoes were purple in color.
As for David, well let me think. Oh yeah, David likes to be the center of attention and prefers to be called Dave. His mother and I didn’t much care for the shortened version of his name, so we always called him David. There is one striking characteristic that I reluctantly must mention. David never spoke or heard a fib that he didn’t like. To be more succinct, I believe that he would rather fabricate a fictitious story than tell the truth — odd but quite true.
The truth seemed to, at least on occasion, stray from David’s thoughts and words. I understood and accepted this shortcoming and often marveled at his ability to maneuver the truth into a lie. I often believed that the truth was no less painful and much easier to tell, but that was David’s nature and in some ways, he found greater pleasure in spinning a yarn than offering factual information; but then don’t we all have our little faults.
Robin, on the other hand, should require a minimal amount of forgiveness, and I believe that she will fit in very well there in your heavenly kingdom. She has been known to tell little white lies but usually only those which keep the truth from hurting someone’s feelings. She loved animals and couldn’t resist a walk in the snow on a cold wintry day. You can’t miss her.
I’m so very jealous of you, my creator. The lonely days and nights I endure without my two old friends only remind me that you, not me, now share their laughter, their smiles and the sounds of their voices. The emptiness which they left behind has clouded my world but, oh, how their presence must brighten each new day in Heaven! I, now more than ever before, envy you, God.
I suppose it must be a sin to be so resentful toward the creator for no other reason than he has my friends and I no longer do, but I suppose this sin is far much less egregious than others I have committed in my poor life. I doubt that I’ll be judged harshly for this as, over the past 70-odd years, I have been guilty of far more brazen transgressions.
It has come to my attention that you are reputed to be a forgiving deity. I pray that this is true as both Robin and David will require some degree of forgiveness. I only hope that your forgiveness is not stressed to its limits when considering David. Although he was my son and, generally speaking, a good person, he did have his share of human faults.
Should the day come, and it surely will, when I ask for your favor, please also consider this correspondence as a letter of introduction. I sincerely hope that you will overlook those moments in my life when I was somewhat less than perfect for, as fallible creatures, don’t we all have such regrettable moments?
Now to the matter of the favor. Would you be so very kind as to tell Robin and David that I love them both very much? Please tell them that my life is so different without them and I hope they’re doing well. Let them know that I am here and will remain here until I may hopefully once again be with them. Sincerely,
Stan Postscript: If it’s not too much to ask, would you, on my behalf, wish David a “Happy Birthday?” It falls on Tuesday, June, 18, you know.