Today, I am going to reply to a recent letter I received at work.

Kind of like an Ann Landers thing … minus the fact she is dead and this person never even asked for my opinion.

So, in reality, it isn’t anything like an Ann Landers thing at all.

To Whom it May Concern,

I received your Easter card in the mail the other day.

The Bible scripture you enclosed was nice to hear. We all need a reminder sometimes that God is with us always.

The hand-written letter inside the card really did get my attention. Hence, the reason I am writing this column.

I honestly hope you won’t mind my using this space to speak to you, as you left me no other choice.

There was no return address on the envelope. Nor did you include your name at the bottom of the letter or inside of the card. Intentionally, I know.

As you mentioned, you are a private person and I respect that.

I realize that writing a newspaper column in response to your letter is the complete opposite of privacy.

But I pray you won’t mind my doing so, for I’d feel terrible if I were to upset you. I do not want to lose your trust. You seem so kind and I would never want to cause any pain or embarrassment to you.

But I believe a response is in order … and again, this is the only way I am able to reach you.

To Whom it May Concern,

First, I appreciate your reading my columns every week.

You have no idea how thankful I am that my words bring you some sense of joy.

When you mentioned the only family you have remaining is one child, I want you to know you are not alone. I can remember times when I would throw birthday parties for my children. The whole house would be overflowing with relatives. There was such a welcoming noise that filled the room. The laughing, the loving, made it all worth it.

But now … now birthdays are usually a text message. They are merely opportunities to look around at the emptiness, remembering those who are no longer here.

I wish they were here.

We all wish they were here.

The older we get, the more we have to lose. I guess growing older does have its disadvantages.

All we can do is take comfort in the one or ones who remain.

All we can do is love them until our arms break.

To Whom it May Concern,

When you speak of all the friends you have lost, regrettably, I understand.

When you talk of the few friends whom you have left, but they are older and in failing health, I want you to know how sorry I am that you will lose them, too.

You see, almost every friend I have ever had throughout my life has died.

Only they didn’t get the chance to grow old.

Heaven sure is filled with beautiful people, isn’t it?

I know that once in a while, we can feel as if it is harder to be on this side of life than the other. There is nothing harder than feeling like you are alone.

Maybe that is why I live my life in denial. Because in reality, my television has become my best friend. We spend all my waking moments together.

And I pretend like it doesn’t bother me. But it does.

In your letter, you wrote that anyone would be lucky to have me as a friend.

That someone out there believes I would make a good friend truly touches my heart. If you really believe that, consider yourself fortunate, as I would happily be your friend if you would allow me the opportunity to do so.

Again, I do not know your name, nor do I need to. I just want you to know if you ever need somebody to listen, I will be that person. Anonymously if I must.

No one should ever be made to feel like they are alone.

To Whom it May Concern,

It is important for me to tell you I have been thinking about you since your letter arrived. I want you to know that you have crossed my mind a few times a day. I know that life can be unfair. For all of us.

Each of us, by ourselves, feels as if we are just half a person.

And so, we go through life looking for somebody to be that other half. We need to feel complete. I mean, why else do people date? Why else do people get married?

But oftentimes, we are misled. And the person we believed actually loved us … they end up being the person who hurts us the most.

To Whom it May Concern,

I understand your pain … your physical, your emotional, your verbal pain.

Perhaps I understand it more than you know. You see, I, too, was married to someone who hurt me. I put up with it for years, if only for the sake of my children.

They were little. I thought they needed both of their parents to be around.

Of course, there always seems to be a logical reason for us to stay in an abusive relationship, isn’t there?

At least it is logical in our minds. That is something others can not understand.

And so, we stay.

Years pass … but nothing’s changed.

Lie after lie. Hit after hit. Push after push. It continues.

And it will continue until you decide it is no longer how you want to live.

No one can tell us differently.

It takes asking yourself if you want to wake up in the morning and go through all of that misery yet again.

And when that day comes, when you finally decide that you don’t want to live this way any longer … it is OK to leave.

Despite the decades of being together, despite the money you might be walking away from, despite the monetary items you will leave behind, despite the promise you made when you said “I do,” that it is alright for you to walk away.

Walking away was the hardest and greatest thing I have ever done.

And I just wanted you to know that I understand. More than you know.

To Whom it May Concern,

I am sorry that this week’s column wasn’t what everyone was expecting to read, like they normally do.

I apologize for dedicating this small space to respond to your heartfelt letter and that beautiful Easter card wishing me and my family a blessed holiday.

But I couldn’t in good conscience not respond to what you wrote to me.

I really do care about you. I honestly do feel for your situation. And I thank you taking the time to write.

Although I may not know you … I do know that you are not alone.

(Stenger is the community editor for the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times newspapers. She can be contacted at jstenger@heraldstaronline.com.)