28/08/2026
You might have noticed one of these if you’ve been to a crematorium or cemetery recently… little letterboxes marked “Letters for Loved Ones.”
And I think they’re rather beautiful.
Just because someone is no longer here doesn’t mean the conversation has to end.
There are still things we want to say.
News we wish we could share.
Questions we wish we could ask.
Apologies.
Thank yous.
And “I miss yous.”
Writing a letter to someone who has died can be a surprisingly powerful thing. It gives us the opportunity to talk to them in our own way and to put into words things that could otherwise stay inside us.
Often we still have things that need to be said. The love will always remain and these little letterboxes give us a moment to continue the conversation.
This letterbox is at Barham Crematorium , near Canterbury. The letters are never opened or read, and they don’t leave the site. They are shredded and added to a special compost which is spread over the memorial gardens.
