When 8-year-old Jalen Moore lost his mom, Samantha, to cancer, the grief left him quiet and withdrawn. One way he coped was by writing letters to her—folding them carefully and placing them in the mailbox with the words “To Mommy in Heaven.”
For weeks, he continued his ritual, always using a purple envelope—her favorite color.
“He never asked for them back,” said his dad, Marcus. “He just wanted to believe she was reading them.”
But what happened next took everyone by surprise.
A few days after his latest letter, Jalen found a new envelope in the mailbox, addressed to him in the same handwriting he’d seen on his mom’s old cards.
Inside was a typed message that read:
“Dear Jalen, I read every letter you send. I’m proud of how brave you are. Keep being kind, and remember I’m always watching over you. Love, Mommy.”
The letter was written by Sharon Kennedy, a local mail carrier who had noticed Jalen’s routine and wanted to help keep his mom’s memory alive.
“I saw those envelopes and thought, what if I could help him heal, even a little?”
She continued writing letters every week, offering small messages of hope and encouragement, sometimes tucking in stickers or little drawings.
When Jalen’s father found out, he cried.
Source: https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/12/25/14/22657234-0-image-a-7_1577285734337.jpg
“It brought him comfort during a time when nothing else could,” Marcus said.
“That simple act of kindness reminded us that love doesn’t end—and neither does community.”
Jalen has started smiling again. He’s even written thank-you notes “to heaven,” telling his mom all about his new pen pal.
“I think Mommy sent her to help me,” he said.
