[ WP ] A terminally ill mother wrote several greeting cards to her daughter for the birthdays/anniversaries/life achievements that she wo n't be there for . Her daughter opening one of the cards .

At 89 years old Mayela knew she was dying. When you've lived in a body for that long, you know when something's not quite right, and something had been not right for some time now. She could have gone to the doctor, but to what end? He would only make the time she had left more miserable than it needed to be. 
 
 She had made her peace with death decades ago when her mother had passed. She had only been 6 years old at the time, so young that memories of her mother were often hard to come by. What she did remember was her mother's strange sense of calm as she slipped away. She had died at home, bald headed and wrapped in her favorite blanket ( the one her mother had given her ). Her mug of tea was still warm and a smile played across her face as she took her last breath. 
 
 Aside from her death Mayela's memories of her mother mostly came in the form of letters. Ever the forward thinker, her mother had written a series of letters for her to open in the future. Most of them were for milestones: getting her license, prom night, marriage, her first child. Others were more mundane: for really bad days, for when your heart is broken, for when you miss me the most. Every letter had been a comfort, but Mayela had run out of new ones years ago. Only one remained and she had n't been able to open it. Not yet. 
 
 First she had needed to get her affairs in order. Unbeknownst to her son she had recently updated her will, given away or disposed of all her extraneous things. Everything was ready and so was she. It was time to open the letter. She made herself a cup of tea and sat down in her favorite chair. She held the latter and her mother's blanket and sighed. On the outside of the envelope in her mother's tidy scrawl was written: 
 > FOR WHEN YOU'RE READY TO DIE 
 
 Gently she separated the glue from the paper and pulled out the letter. 
 
 *My dearest Mayela, * 
 
 *I hope when you read this you are an old, old woman. I hope you will have lived a long and happy life, surrounded by those you loved and those who loved you. If you have then you have achieved everything I ever wanted for you. If not, I ca n't tell you how sorry I am. * 
 
 *What I can tell you is how much I love you. I'm sorry I left you so soon. You of all people deserved a normal family and a normal life. Sometimes things do n't work out the way we want them to. I almost did n't write this letter. What can you say to your only daughter when she's ready to die? All I can tell you is what helped me come to terms with my own impending death. * 
 
 *1. It does n't matter what happens after you die. Whether everything goes dark forever or we meet again, there's nothing any of us can do to stop it. * 
 
 *2. Someone will miss you. You have left your mark on at least one person and that will last long after you are gone. * 
 
 *3. There's nothing in this world that's so bad you should left it keep you here. Let it go. Let it all go. Allow yourself to let go of the negative and only let the positive tether you to this life. * 
 
 *4. When you're ready - really really ready - just let go. Clear your mind and let go of everything holding you. Your body or soul or whatever will know what to do. I can feel it. * 
 
 *I love you, bug. Your father loves you. I do n't know where we go when we die, but I sure hope we end up together again someday. * 
 
 *Good luck on the next big adventure, * 
 
 *Mom* 
 
 And that's just the way they found her wrapped in her mother's blanket, a cup of tea, still warm, beside her, and a smile playing across her lips.
