The following letter was written by Ita Ford three months before her death to her niece and godchild, Jennifer Ford, in Brooklyn, New York, on her 16th birthday.
August 18, 1980
Dear Jennifer,
The odds that this note will arrive for your birthday are poor, but know that I'm with you in spirit as you celebrate 16 big ones. I hope it's a special day for you.
I want to say something to you, and I wish I were there to talk to you, because sometimes letters don't get across all the meaning and feeling. But, I'll give it a try anyhow.
First of all, I love you and care about you and how you are. I'm sure you know that ... What I want to say -- some of it isn't too jolly birthday talk, but it's real.
Yesterday I stood looking down at a 16-year-old who had been killed a few hours earlier. I know a lot of kids even younger who are dead. This is a terrible time in El Salvador for youth. A lot of idealism and commitment are getting snuffed out here now.
The reasons why so many people are being killed are quite complicated, yet there are some clear, simple strands. One is that many people have found a meaning to life, to sacrifice, struggle, and even to death. And whether their life span is 16 years, 60, or 90 -- for them, their life has had a purpose. In many ways, they are fortunate people.
Brooklyn is not passing through the drama of El Salvador, but some things hold true wherever one is, and at whatever age. What I'm saying is, I hope you come to find that which gives life a deep meaning for you -- something worth living for, maybe even worth dying for -- something that energizes you, enthuses you, enables you to keep moving ahead. I can't tell you what that might be -- that's for you to find, to choose, to love. I can just encourage you to start looking, and support you in the search ...
A very happy birthday to you and much, much love,
Ita
Got something to say about what you're reading? We value your feedback!