#iwishihad: A Farewell Storytelling Campaign for Unsaid Words and Healing

Your story matters—and here, it's safe. This is a space free of judgment, where your heart can speak freely. Maybe it's something you've held onto for years, or perhaps it's a moment you just now realized you needed to release. Whatever it is, we're listening.

You don't need perfect words—just your truth. Every "I wish I had…" carries love, grief, and a desire for connection. Let it out. Let it be seen. Let it begin the healing. You are not alone. We honor your story with compassion and care.

#iwishihad

Introduction

Some things are hard to say when the person you need to tell is no longer there.

Grief is never a straight path. It twists through silence, regret, and longing—and perhaps nothing haunts us more than the words we never got to speak. I love you. I forgive you. I'm sorry. Thank you. Sometimes, we carry those unsaid words for years.

This is what inspired the #iwishihad farewell storytelling campaign.

Launched by Orpaz Events and Marketing, the campaign invites people to write, say, or share the things they wish they had said to someone they lost. It’s not just a hashtag. It’s a release. A mirror. A moment of reflection. And for many, it’s a first step toward healing.

A Personal Story: Deborah's "I Wish I Had"

When I was 11 or 12, I lost the woman I used to call mom.

She was my aunt. But she loved me as if I were her own. She did my hair every afternoon, taught me lullabies, read me Bible stories, and gave me the kind of quiet, consistent love that stays with a child long after the world becomes loud.

She had liver cancer. It spread through her body until her organs shut down.

I remember the last time I saw her. She was still walking. Still talking. I meant to hug her. But I didn’t. Perhaps I was too young to understand how quickly time can slip away. When she got very sick, my real mom went to see her, but they didn’t take me. They thought they were protecting me.

By the time they brought me to the hospital, she was gone.

I saw her as they wheeled her out.

Skin and bones. No goodbye. No hug. No words.

I never got to say thank you. For the lullabies. For the kindness. For the motherly love I didn’t even know I was being given.

That love was one of the most beautiful gifts of my childhood. And I never got to say a single word about it to her face.

That is what I carry. That is my #iwishihad.

Why the #iwishihad Campaign Exists

Because so many of us carry things we never got to say. Because grief often begins with silence. Because even the strongest people sometimes walk with unspoken words in their hearts.

The #iwishihad farewell storytelling campaign is a way to speak to them. To write them.To whisper them. To say them out loud—even if no one else is in the room.

Grief doesn’t always want answers. Sometimes, it just wants to be acknowledged.

And that’s what this campaign creates: A sacred space for the unsaid to finally be heard.

What to Share in Your #iwishihad

Your post can be as simple as a sentence:

"I wish I had told you how proud I was of you.""I wish I had visited more.""I wish I had forgiven you sooner."

Or you can share a letter, a poem, a piece of art, or a video. It doesn’t have to be public. It just has to be true.

There is no right way to grieve. There is no wrong way to remember. There is only what your heart still wants to say.

Every story added to this farewell storytelling campaign helps create a collective space for healing, release, and remembrance.

How to Participate

Sharing your story is simple. Here’s how you can take part:

• Reflect: Take a moment to connect with your heart. Ask yourself, What do I wish I had said?

• Create: Write a post, record a reel, make a graphic, or light a candle.

• Share: Use the hashtag #iwishihad and tag @myorpaz_official

• Submit Privately: Prefer to stay anonymous? Share your story at www.myorpaz.com/iwishihad

This farewell storytelling campaign is open to everyone:

• If you’ve lost someone.

• If you’re saying goodbye soon.

• If you’ve never been able to say what needed to be said.

Your words matter. Even now. Especially now.

Why does the farewell storytelling campaign matter?

Because people insure their homes, their jewelry, and their pets. Because we prepare for baby showers, birthdays, and weddings. However, we rarely prepare for emotional closure.

Farewell should not be an afterthought. It should be a living moment.

A moment to:

• Speak love.

• Release anger.

• Honor someone while they can still feel it.

And even if the person is no longer here, the truth is: It’s never too late to speak from the heart.

The #iwishihad farewell storytelling campaign reminds us of that truth.

Final Reflection: What Is Your #iwishihad?

We all have one. Even if we’ve never said it out loud.

This is your invitation. Not to dwell in guilt, but to move toward healing. Not to fix the past, but to create peace in the present . Not to grieve alone, but to join others walking the same road.

Say it. Write it. Let it go.

Your words deserve space. Your memory deserves a voice. And this farewell storytelling campaign exists to hold both with care.