To John, a really close friend who died last year. I'd love to see him one more time and say, 'Look, I'm sorry I wasn't around enough during your life.'
Originally asked
The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A
A fixed Guardian Q&A prompt asked directly across respondents and years.
You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.
The Q&A, The Guardian, 4 July 2026 source ↗
Others on this question
View all 209 →To the people who, because of my career, I cannot spend time with. I have to be selfish, unfortunately.
To all those whose fleeting interaction with me has fallen short of what they’d hoped; the unwitting recipients of my occasional grumpiness.
I was not great with my mother-in-law, who was a very gentle woman. I thought she would be an uninvited part of my life for ever, but she died early and I wished I had been more open and patient.
More from Esther Freud
View profile →Last week, when I decided to rewrite the children’s book I’ve been working on.
For the words to fly from my fingers as just occasionally they do.
Did I behave in the right way?
I can always see two points of view, which makes it hard to have a row.
Small, determined, lucky.
An inability to see the other side.
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