Letter To Voldemort

Voldemort,

I write this to excise you from my life, to free myself from your toxic influence, and to move forward in my life with happiness.

Our calling you Voldemort began as a humourous allusion, and thus it remained for a time. But over time it became clear that a name given in jest was actually remarkably accurate. I also called you satans faecal representative here on earth, and also an excrementer. Those attempts ar humour at your expense however denied the effects of your psychopathy by attempting to shift them onto fictional characters. Your actions however were very real and at a similar level to that malevolent character.

You probably don’t know it, and if you did I doubt you would either care or believe me when I say that you have caused me so much pain, triggered unhappiness and brought me to levels of despair I thought I would never experience. I referred to you as a psychopath which the absence of any kind of remorse or apology from you bears out.

Now, as I write this I see how stupid I have been in allowing this to happen. I am in charge of my destiny, not you.

I was stupid to think that over thirty years of friendship meant anything to you. It couldn’t from the way you behaved. Even after I gave you a second chance, a chance that so few would be given. It was based on your word and assurances and the length of our friendship, yet you betrayed me again. And so quickly. Then you said I had behaved appallingly. Your supreme delusion is that you fail to realize just how badly you behaved and the effect on others.

I was stupid to allow your toxic manipulation and influence to affect me for as long as it has. I am and have always been a better person that you will ever be. People who know us both have said that, and that has been something I struggled to accept. But I know it now. Your influence and proximity sucked that knowledge from me, making me see life through the prism of your own damaged and damaging influence.

I acknowledge that one person can cause another pain, but that is a transient thing. Only by actually allowing that pain to linger can it affect a person for as long as it has for me.

I can however be thankful to you for some things.

I see more beauty around me due to your absence. The world around me is a far better place without you. The loving relationships I have are in stark contrast compared to when around you, and for that I shall be eternally thankful.

In the time of greatest trauma when your influence was at its most malevolent, I made discoveries about myself that I probably never would have otherwise. I examined and explored things that I had repressed for decades. Thanks to you, I acknowledged then acted upon the suppressed issues and I know I am a far better person for that.

I had at times equated your actions to those of a dog but I know that is wrong. Dogs are loving, loyal, guilelessly companionable and make the lives of those around them better. You have none of those enviable qualities. Your callous treatment of me and those around me had been such that it shook my confidence in the human race for a time, but now I acknowledge it for what it is. The effect of actions was to bring all around you down your own level.

Yours is not a personality that benefits people, that promotes growth or happiness. Being free of your presence makes that clear.

So Voldemort, if we ever meet again, please don’t acknowledge me. Just go forth happy in your delusion and seek whatever solace there may be in knowing that you are alone in this world in the depth of your toxicity to the human spirit. I do not wish you well, or ill. I wish you nothing at all, for ever more.

This letter to you is my Christmas present to me. I shall have other presents from the many loved ones around me and I shall enjoy them also. I shall go and sit on the deck overlooking a lovely expanse, enjoy a meal with my wife and smile to myself. You are gone.

Signed,

You know who I am.

Probably one among many.