Family Finds Note from Father 9 Years After His Death: "Don't Be Afraid"
A treasured note found nine years after the loss of the writer has won the hearts of thousands.
“The family of Rick Clukey found a note from their father, who died in 2013, in his beekeeping equipment,” according to Inside Edition.
Clukey’s daughter, Amy, an English professor at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, posted a photo of the note on Twitter and was overwhelmed at the response.
“She put up the note this week, under the headline, ‘Note from my dad found in his beekeeping equipment nine years after his death. He is missed.'”
Note from my dad found in his bee keeping equipment nine years after his death. He is missed. pic.twitter.com/M4iIbT0Iqn
— Amy Clukey (@AmyClukey) August 15, 2022
The note read, “I hope this note is found by one of my children who is curious about beekeeping. Beekeeping is actually pretty easy and you can learn everything you need to know online. Bees make more products than just honey and as a hobby it can be a source of extra income $$$. So don’t be afraid. Have courage. Good Luck. Love Dad.”
The note struck a chord with many who long to find such encouraging words from their own family members who have passed away and it received “more than 789,000 likes and more than 45,000 retweets.”
“‘What a treasure. I hope someday I find a note from my Dad like that,’ wrote one woman.”
“‘I am crying,’ wrote another.”
Amy’s father wrote the note in 2012. That coincided with the time doctors informed him his life expectancy was very short. Rick Clukey died at age 53 of lung cancer and was mourned by his six children.
Amy is the eldest of the six children and she reports that the note was found by her youngest brother, Liam. Amy also told readers that their sister, Emily, will be buying the house and plans to continue the tradition of beekeeping.
Clukey’s daughter, touched by all the responders who wished they could read words written by their parents, tried to respond to as many as she could and posted a follow up photo of herself with her dad.
I was not expecting this post to get so much attention, but I think my dad would’ve appreciated it. I don’t have a SoundCloud to plug, so here’s a picture of us together taken the summer he wrote this note. pic.twitter.com/kZuOul5jC8
— Amy Clukey (@AmyClukey) August 16, 2022
“Losing someone to cancer is terrible,” Amy responded to one writer. “But it does allow a bit of time to think about one’s legacy.”
The power of a parent’s words to bless is immeasurable. Finding words from one who has been lost can clearly be a blessing not only to the family but to all longing for a loving word from loved ones.
It’s a lesson to all of us to share words of blessing today with those we love.
