The Silver Linings Playbook

Letter #6-December 13, 2006



Dear Pat,



I'm sorry your childhood hero committed suicide. I'm sorry McNabb was injured. And I am especially sad to hear that your father is still allowing the results of football games to govern the relationships he has with his immediate family. Your poor, poor mother.



Your decision to reveal your therapist's views regarding Tiffany made for an awkward phone conversation. It is obvious that Tiffany cares for you enough to put together this exchange of letters. I hope you will protect her legally by refraining from discussing the arrangement further with your therapist or anyone else. You do realize that by showing Cliff my letters, you have put me in a precarious legal position. I am not allowed to make contact with you by law, remember? So this will be my last letter. Sorry.



Regarding Holden Caulfield and the gold ring Phoebe reaches for at the end of the novel, please don't think of me as your golden ring. I am your ex-wife. I wish you well, but your therapist was right to say we are incompatible.



I can see clearly we are not moving toward closure, which makes me regret opening up this dialogue. My only hope is that someday - after you have stabilized your mental health - you will take comfort in the fact that I reached out to you after all that happened. I wish you well in this world, Pat.



Goodbye.



Nikki