Writealetter.org

Let's start writing letters again!

  • Home
  • About
  • Go The Write Way
  • Posts
  • Resources
  • Contact

Valentine for Bobby

February 13, 2021 By Carol

“I feel I hold her heart in my hands…holding my mother’s letters. ” -Sherry Turkel, Epilogue- Alone Together, 2011.

Valentine from Bobby 2020

The kids called him “Mr. Robert.” Bobby’s small creative arts class at a Church daycare was his “passion.” The kids just loved him. He allowed them to be who they are. He let them shine. Together they made art, sang songs, read books, danced, and put on plays. If they had issues, he let them talk, and he listened. Sometimes, Bobby would lock horns with the moms, say- over a book like Sendak’s In the Night Kitchen.  But in the end, he and the kids prevailed.

I know all of this through the letters Bobby wrote me. We were pen pals for the last five years.

Thinking back, I feel that I have known Bobby Douglas most of my life. When I moved to New Haven in the 1970’s, he was my mailman. When I was hired at the post office in 1984, Bobby and I worked in the same station at Brewery Street.

Bobby had one of the longest routes in the city. He worked extremely hard, giving 40 years of his life to delivering people’s mail. Somedays he would have his lunch perched on top of the mountain of mail he held in his arms. He wouldn’t take a break.

He could be a bit of a curmudgeon.  And he would get into squabbles at the job with silly supervisors or lazy co-workers. Bobby did NOT suffer fools gladly.

Carol, Bobby, and Jan at Martha’s Vineyard

He DID enjoy talking about the theatre, the arts, a great book, or an interesting New Yorker article. Once, we rode the train to New York City to see Angels In America. Another adventure took us on a plane ride to Martha’s Vineyard.

Bobby was  always supportive of my letter writing presentations. He would show up even when only four people attended.

He retired five years ago, just a year before I did. One day at work I found a letter with Bobby’s tiny handwriting on it. He sent me an article he thought I’d enjoy. And so our pen friendship began.

Gossip, book/movie reviews, trips, family stories- were all topics for our letters. We became the best of friends through the mail. I’d send him art supplies and craft books for the kids’ classes. He sent me beautiful stationery and a crazy book about cats wearing sweaters. Bobby mailed greeting cards for all the calendar holidays- Halloween, St. Patrick’s, Easter, Thanksgiving…And he’d simply sign- “Robert Douglas.”

I have to comment on Bobby’s unique handwriting. It was mostly printed and ever so small. I need a magnifying glass to read what he was saying. He took full advantage of the white space on a postcard or notecard.

Life happens. And there could be gaps of time in between letters. I’m not always prompt with my responses. But when I didn’t get a Christmas card from Bobby, I knew something was wrong. I sent out a few notes, then an email. Nothing. I didn’t have his phone number. Finally I googled:  “Robert Douglas,” and discovered that Bobby had died on Dec. 8th, 2020. “Suddenly. Unexpectedly. At home in his sleep. He was 69.” My age.

A thank you card from Bobby,  Summer 2020

I am writing this because I can no longer write to Bobby.

This is my memorial. I am grateful that I knew him…That he trusted me with his stories. I am sorry that he did not have a longer retirement… That COVID-19 took “Mr. Robert” away from the kids he loved so much…That we didn’t meet for a socially distanced visit in the park last September. I thought we would meet up in the Spring…

Death is always so inconvenient.

The good news  is I have Bobby’s letters and I can visit him by simply looking at his tiny handwriting with my magnifying glass and re-reading the stories he chose to tell me.

Such is the power of a friendship in letters. Letters are keepsakes.

I, too, am grateful to the universe…for giving me a dear friend like you…Bobby Douglas.

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Pen pals Tagged With: Alone Together, Angels In America, Bobby Douglas, Brewery Street, In the Night Kitchen, Maurice Sendak, post office, Sherry Turkel

Subscribe

Subscribe to our mailing list for occasional newsletters and notices of new posts




Archives

  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • September 2021
  • July 2021
  • April 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • January 2020
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010

Copyright © 2023 · Carol Christmas · website by Hardenbergh Design · Log in