‘My guess is you know enough about him now. So let’s swipe right,’ she concludes, referring to the dating app Tinder where people ‘swipe right’ on people they are interested in.
‘I am wrapping this up on Valentine’s Day, and the most genuine, non-vase-oriented gift I can hope for is that the right person reads this, finds Jason, and another love story begins.’
Above her signature, Amy leaves a massive white space.
She says: ‘I’ll leave this intentional empty space below as a way of giving you two the fresh start you deserve.'
Touched readers added their comments.
David recalled a similar thing happening with his parents: ‘When my mother was dying of cancer at age 44, she put together a list of eligible women for my father to consider as a future wife. She also wrote out menus for dinners and dinner parties for groups of varying sizes, something my parents had done throughout their adult lives together. It was, as is your article, permission to a beloved spouse both to grieve and to keep living.’
Ryan said it inspired him to be the kind of man her husband is: ‘As a 24 year old single man it is hard for me to truly relate to what a great marriage is. But this gave me a strong picture of what I want in my future relationship. A selfless, loving, compassionate, and supportive partnership.’
Katie found the article on the 5th anniversary of her own husband’s death: ‘What are the odds that I would find something so beautiful on such a dark day? You want to give your husband the strength to continue. By publishing this, you have managed to lend me a bit of that strength, as well. Thank you so very, very much. I promise you that the love you and your husband share will endure, no matter what.’