A mailman in Leicestershire, England discovered a very unique letter. The address read: “to Dad, Heaven, Cloud Nine”. Unfortunately, a letter sent to heaven is out of his jurisdiction. But Simon was determined to find the child who had just lost her father. So he posted a picture of the envelope on a Facebook group called Spotted Braunstone.
“Earlier today I emptied the red pillar box on Bewicke Road (junc. of Folville Avenue) and there was a letter in a child’s handwriting addressed to their dad in heaven, cloud 9,” he wrote. “I’m trying to find the parents of the child as I would like to reach out to them and with their permission sort out a little something for the child. I myself lost my dad last year and as an adult found it hard so I can only imagine what this child is going through. Please, if anyone has any details then it would be hugely appreciated.”
Just fifteen minutes later, the mailman was able to reach Sarah Tully, the girl’s mother. He returned the letter to her and she keeps it in a box along with a collection of encouraging social media comments for Sianna to read when she grows up.
Returning the Letter Sent to Heaven
Simon, who chose to keep his last name anonymous, found the letter in a post box in Braunstone. In fact, at the time, he was working overtime on a route he usually doesn’t take. After he read the letter intended to be sent to heaven, he said he was “taken aback”. He had lost his own father just a year prior.
“Obviously without a stamp or an actual address on it, if it got put in with the rest of the stuff to be delivered it would just end up getting thrown away in transit somewhere,” he said. “I spoke to my manager and asked if I could try to get hold of the family to find out more about it and get it back to them.”
So he posted the picture in hopes of finding the sender, which he did. They met up to return the letter, and Simon also gave “the lovely little girl” a father and daughter figurine.
“Hi, all I am truly touched by all this,” wrote Sarah Tully in response to the post. “I never expected this. [I] just tried to help my daughter with father’s day. The person that posted this has been in touch with me. We are now talking, so moving. I actually cried.”
Letters to Dad
In an interview with LeicestershireLive, Tully described the scene when the letter sent to heaven was written. See, Sianna’s father, Tony, passed away in a car accident. She was only four months old in a car accident. [1] However, Sarah encouraged her to write letters to her father since the little girl “really struggled” without him. So Sianna — who is now eight years old — took to the practice, writing letters about how she loves and misses him, for him for every birthday and holiday, including this past Father’s Day. “She was so small and she’s only just starting to understand,” Sarah said. “I think this year it might have hit her the hardest because she was more emotional.” [2]
“Sianna just came into the room that evening and asked ‘where does Daddy live?’ I told her it was too late to post it at first but she started crying, so I said ‘come on then’ and we walked to the post box down the street.“
Sarah hasn’t read any of Sianna’s letters, not even the one Simon returned. “I always say that’s between her and her dad.” [3]
When Simon’s post went viral, people flooded the mother and daughter with kindness and support. Said one commenter, “Glad we could all help sharing the post. What a thoughtful little girl you have, best wishes to you all.”
“What a lucky little girl to have such a thoughtful, in touch mum. Best wishes to you and your family.“
“What a poignant post to make us remember those whose Dads aren’t around… and to love and appreciate him while he is,” said another.
Writing a Letter to a Lost Loved One
Writing letters to deceased loved ones is a healthy tool to aid the grieving process. “Letters sent to heaven” isn’t just a coping mechanism for innocent kids. It could be extremely helpful for people of any age. Here are a few tips to get started:
- Don’t worry about proper grammar or spelling.
- Be honest and open as you write.
- Write everything that occurs to you during the process.
- Discuss your feelings and how you are experiencing them.
- Be patient with yourself.
- Remember, no one is privvy to these letters aside from you. [4]
Keep Reading: Dying 4-Year-Old Boy Tells His Mom That He’ll Wait For Her In Heaven Before Passing Away
Sources
- “Girl’s Letter Addressed to Her Dad in Heaven Gets a Response from Big-Hearted Postman.” Parents. Alex Hazlett. June 25, 2021
- “Leicester postman returns Father’s Day letter sent to heaven.” BBC. Amy Woodfield. June 23, 2021
- “Mailman Uses Social Media to Return Father’s Day Letter Sent by Girl to Dad in Heaven.” MSN. Sara Santora. June 24, 2021
- “A systematic writing program as a tool in the grief process: part 1.” Patient Prefer Adherence. Bodil Furnes and Elin Dysvik.December 6, 2010