It is in the nature of modern life that people you are close to will sometimes drift out of your life.  After a relationship break up, there is often an expectation that you will eventually get back together.  Over time, you may find instead that your former love is drifting out of your life.  As the hope for a reconciliation begins to dim, you may find that you really didn’t get to say goodbye.

Writing a goodbye letter is an opportunity to say a good goodbye and allow the relationship to end on a good note.  A goodbye letter acknowledges a change in the relationship going forward and also can give both parties some sense of closure.

How To Write A Goodbye Letter

Before you begin writing your goodbye letter, here are a few things to consider:

1. One of the most important elements of a good goodbye letter is making sure you are not leaving anything unsaid.  Before you start to write a goodbye letter, you should take some time to honestly reflect on your relationship.

2. You should also carefully consider what you write.  A goodbye letter is likely to be read many times and may be kept as a memento of your relationship.

3. A goodbye letter can be a time to come clean on your shortcomings in the relationship and any regrets you have.  It is one last opportunity to say you are sorry for any mistakes you made.

4. A goodbye letter should be upbeat and positive.  A goodbye letter is not a time to take any final shots at them or your relationship.  It will only make you look bitter.  Instead, a goodbye letter is an opportunity to be generous.  Focus on the positives of the relationship and your separate futures.



Write About The Past

A good way to start a goodbye letter is to write about your past relationship with them.  Beginning with a memory or two of the good times you had together will set a good tone for your letter.

A goodbye letter is also an opportunity to express how important the other person and your relationship were in your life.  You might write how they helped you during a tough time or how their encouragement and support helped you to achieve an important goal.

Write About The Present

The second part of your goodbye letter should be about the present.  You could write how you feel now about your shortcomings in the relationship and tell your former love of any regrets you might have.  You could also write about how you have missed them in your life since the break up.

Write About The Future And Say Goodbye

The last part of your goodbye letter is where you acknowledge that you will have separate futures and actually say goodbye.  You should wish them well and say that you will miss having them in your life.

After you write your goodbye letter, you might want to set it aside for a few days.  This will allow you to take a fresh look at what you wrote and make sure it accurately reflects your feelings.

Conclusion

Writing a goodbye letter is a great way to say a final goodbye to a former love.  A goodbye letter can give both parties some closure to the relationship and is a nice way to part on good terms.

If you would like some additional inspiration for writing a goodbye letter, please read a sample goodbye letter, a goodbye letter I wrote to my sweetheart after a break up and a goodbye letter saying I am sorry in the love letters section of my website.

Related page: How to write a break up letter