That envelope had remained in my desk drawer at home for three years. Perhaps it was finally time to read it.

That night, I sat at my kitchen table and opened my grandfather’s letter. His familiar, shaky handwriting filled the page. The final line read, “When the time comes to return, remember that true power isn’t in making others feel small. It’s in standing tall without pushing them down.”

I picked up my phone and sent my RSVP directly to my mother’s email address. Four words: I’ll be there. Eleanor.