Letter demanding Bethpage loved ones remove Xmas lights a agonizing request

Sara Pascucci took one appear at the 8-word letter dropped in the mailbox of her property on Berkshire Street in Bethpage and could rarely imagine her eyes, specially following enduring the hardest thirty day period of her existence.

“Take your Xmas lights down!,” the unsigned typed letter browse. “It is really Valentine’s Day!!!!!!”

Pascucci, 31, a receptionist at a Bellmore dermatologist, was perplexed. Was the letter remaining Tuesday a cruel joke? A nosy neighbor scolding her for violating some unspoken community etiquette?

It was all also considerably for Pascucci, particularly after COVID-19 came for two associates of her family past month. She buried her father, Anthony Pascucci, 61, on Jan. 15, and her aunt, Connie Pascucci, 70, on Jan. 9 soon after the two siblings succumbed to the virus.

“I considered it was somebody seeking to be humorous but contemplating the circumstances we failed to actually locate it funny,” Sara Pascucci reported of the letter during a news convention in Bellmore on Wednesday. “It was really incredibly hurtful.”

Pascucci, her brother and a different aunt — who live collectively — all contracted the virus on Xmas Eve but have considering the fact that recovered.

Shortly following receiving the letter, Pascucci shared her tale on the Very long Island Mothers Facebook web page.

The Wednesday put up quickly went viral, garnering almost 750 supportive remarks in much less than 24 several hours.

In the put up, Pascucci explained how her father often beloved decorating the family’s property for the holidays. She also struck a defiant tone, describing that with all she and her relatives missing in January, taking down Christmas lights experienced develop into reduced on the priority listing.

“We have been still left to choose care of our household now, not to mention battling all the emotions that go with this,” Pascucci wrote. “We have been fast paced with funeral arrangements, mortgage/utility payments, and just the grieving procedure of it all. So yes, we have not gotten around to having down his Xmas decorations. And maybe we just are not ready to however. I will not apologize for this.”

And Pascucci was not by yourself.

Brian Kelly, who owns a dwelling just down the street from her, gained an similar letter Tuesday, also resolved only to “resident.” Kelly stated the letter author has misplaced priorities during a pandemic that has claimed the life of nearly 450,000 People in america.

“It is really horrible. Lights? That’s your largest difficulty suitable now?,” mentioned Kelly, who is effective for FedEx. “Actually I looked at it and I laughed. But I can realize if a person could not take their lights down due to the fact of a tragedy and then they see this? I might be upset much too.”

Pascucci reported she experienced no strategy who wrote the letter. Kelly has his suspicions but is retaining any names to himself. The letters had no return deal with.

In the meantime, neighbors on the near-knit street have rallied powering Pascucci, with numerous taking into consideration placing their Christmas lights back up and plugging them in to spite the letter author. On Facebook, others have talked about lighting up the complete block with getaway decorations and songs.

“It’s awful,” said neighbor Eileen Shapiro. “With all the things going on out there won’t be able to you be a small great in its place of dragging somebody down due to the fact they remaining their Christmas lights up?”

Neighbor Samantha Cogelja explained she wishes the letter author was a lot more tolerant and comprehension.

“No one is aware anybody’s tale,” Cogelja stated. “A great deal of men and women are battling with COVID right now.”

Pascucci mentioned the Xmas lights, which have not been turned on because the holiday seasons concluded, nevertheless make her smile — a reminder of superior periods when the family members all celebrated Xmas with each other.

The lights also make Pascucci thinkg fondly of her dad, his ear-to-ear smile and the pleasure he felt decorating the residence for his youngsters.

“It can be quite tricky to consider something down your father relished and place up for your family,” she claimed. “It is tough. You genuinely require to get time to go by means of things.”

Pascucci finished her Fb article Wednesday with a information to the letter writer.

“Be variety to people today due to the fact you by no means know what they are going by means of,” she wrote. “Might you by no means have to sense the pain that we have felt inside of the past several months. Probably future time supply a serving to hand to a person that may perhaps be in have to have.”

Robert Brodsky is a breaking information reporter who has worked at Newsday because 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.