The Amazing Stuff

Hyong Yi’s wife Catherine Zanga died last year after a heartbreaking battle with ovarian cancer. Wanting nothing more than to curl up in bed after suffering such a devastating blow, Yi had to stay strong for his family. With two young children at home, he had to be their rock.

That’s when he decided to do something truly amazing. He came up with a way to commemorate the anniversary of Catherine’s death that would help them move on, and also ensure that she would never be forgotten.

Catherine’s death left a huge hole in her family’s hearts. All three of them felt lost after she was gone.

That’s when Yi decided to draft love letters to express the love he’s had bottled up inside since her death.

After writing 100 notes over the course of a month, he and his children walked around Charlotte, North Carolina, on the anniversary of Catherine’s death and handed the notes to strangers.

He based the content of each note on memories and conversations he and his wife shared over the course of their relationship.

“I wanted them to experience how it felt to give this gift, rather than just be spectators,” Yi said of getting his little ones involved.

The event prompted a number of Yi’s friends to create a website where the notes could be published online.

“The most difficult, rewarding part of the past year has been to try and define a life worthy of Catherine. What is a life well lived? My conclusion: a life filled with love. Catherine taught me this,” Yi wrote in a Facebook post.

It was also the culmination of a year-long healing process. “For the last month, I was really looking forward to doing this with my children.”

“People sometimes take loved ones for granted. Be thankful for everyone around you,” Yi’s daughter Anna told the media.

According to Yi, “one of the things my wife was most concerned about was being forgotten. I’m pretty sure that’s not going to happen now.” We couldn’t agree more. As our hearts go out to Yi and his family, there’s no chance that we’ll forget about Catherine. Something tells me that members of this community will hold her in their hearts forever, too.

If you’d like to learn more about this project, head on over to Yi’s website.

If you don’t like face-to-face confrontation, but you have a bone to pick with someone, there are very limited options for you to get your point across. Leaving a note is one of those options.

The Holy Grail of passive aggression, notes allow you to say what’s on your mind while remaining anonymous. But these people may have taken the method a little too far…

1. They could’ve just lit it on fire and called it a day, but they didn’t!

2. The songbirds that everyone hates.

3. Leave these people alone.

4. Oh boy…here we go…

5. That kitty has a problem, you enablers!

6. I wonder what legal issues come with planting pine trees.

7. Nobody wants to see you shagging, friends.

8. Who does that?!

9. What things do they do? What things?!

10. Try shampooing that out!

11. That is a valid storage method.

12. Who knew that Harry Potter could be so passive-aggressive?

13. Revenge is a dish best served cold…or frozen.

14. No one wants to be called a hipster.

15. The walls have eyes…and ears…and a handle on basic literacy.

16. Why? Just…why?

17. Well, that’s one way to do it.

18. So do they want us to let the cats out, or…?

19. All in pretty cursive!

20. How courteous!

(via Bored Panda)

I’m glad I’ve never gotten one of these. It doesn’t get much more embarrassing than that, so I’d love to see how these people handled it. Did they change their ways, or were there more notes where these came from?

When Moe, Mary Archizel Westbook’s 13-year-old beagle, died this past April, she was heartbroken. Her three-year-old son Luke was also devastated. To comfort themselves over the loss of their beloved family member, Mary and Luke took to writing Moe letters every so often. Luke would dictate them, and Mary would write them down. The letters were addressed “Moe Westbrook, Doggie Heaven, Cloud 1.”

Though Mary put the letters in the mailbox every time Luke wanted to talk to his canine companion, she didn’t think she’d ever get a response. It was simply a way to remember Moe and help Luke comprehend death. But then something unexpected happened.

(via Distinction)

“Receiving the note reminded me of the goodness of people, and of just how big a small gesture can really be,” she says. “Here’s to Moe in doggie heaven, and to thoughtful postal workers everywhere.”

St. Gemma’s Hospice in the U.K. has a charity shop, where proceeds from sales go to supporting cancer patients. They mainly sell secondhand clothes, and one of their more recent items featured was this beautiful vintage wedding dress.

(via Hello Giggles)

When the employees saw the note, they knew they had to find its writer. “We thought it would be a great idea to put it on social media and share the dress’ story,” explains store manager Aysha Alton. The dress and the note went up online, all with hopes of finding the previous owner.

Eventually, the dress was put up for sale on eBay, with proceeds going to charity, and the man who donated it was found. He wishes to remain anonymous, but he’s thrilled at the outpouring of appreciation his donation has spurred.