{"id":1133,"date":"2016-02-08T07:31:50","date_gmt":"2016-02-08T12:31:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/robinbotie.com\/blog\/?p=1133"},"modified":"2016-02-08T09:44:56","modified_gmt":"2016-02-08T14:44:56","slug":"mushy-valentine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/robinbotie.com\/blog\/mushy-valentine\/","title":{"rendered":"A Mushy Valentine"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A<\/em>Do not tell me I\u2019m the only one emailing a dead daughter. I could not have invented this idea myself.<\/p>\n

When my daughter Marika was alive, I never saw her Facebook page. And she emailed me only once, to share photos of her new puppy, no words. Last week, clearing out my emailbox, I found that old email. So I sent a reply back. The poor computer churned as it tried to deliver my message. But it stopped eventually, and I sent a second message, expecting the inevitable automatic notices stating the messages were undeliverable. Checking my Sent Box, I saw my emails were indeed delivered. You might be thinking this is silly. It is. And it\u2019s sad. Because before Marika died I did not tell her goodbye or I love you. And last week, in the emails, I did.<\/p>\n

So today I\u2019m emailing Marika the mushy-gooshiest Valentine I can conjure up in Photoshop. You\u2019re shaking your head, saying, \u201cPoor Robin\u2019s gone ranting-off-the-roof crazy.\u201d You\u2019re wincing, thinking Valentine\u2019s Day is such a dopey, over-commercialized holiday. But for those of us who don\u2019t often say I Love You, it\u2019s an opportunity to show our love. Inspired by my love for my daughter, I spent hours making this valentine. So after I email it to Marika, I\u2019ll post it to friends on Facebook, and mail it off to family members who don\u2019t have sweethearts this year. Anyone who wants to is welcome to copy and send it to whomever, living or dead.<\/p>\n

After all, like the Crosby, Stills & Nash song says, \u201cIf you can\u2019t be with the one you love, love the one[s] you\u2019re with.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What do you do when you\u2019ve lost someone you used to spoil on Valentine\u2019s Day? Does anyone else ever send emails to their dead loved one?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Do not tell me I’m the only one emailing a dead daughter. I could not have invented this idea myself. When my daughter Marika was alive, I never saw her Facebook page. And she emailed me only once, to share photos of her new puppy, no words. Last week, clearing out my emailbox, I found […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[702],"tags":[750,747,751,749,748,746],"class_list":["post-1133","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-702","tag-facing-valentines-day-alone","tag-going-through-old-emails","tag-if-you-cant-be-with-the-one-you-love","tag-mushy-valentine","tag-showing-my-love","tag-valentines-day"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t