A man who tragically ended his life left behind a poignant “yes list” of 101 activities for his girlfriend to undertake, aimed at helping her rediscover joy in life. Elena Ricci, 29, was heartbroken after the loss of her six-year partner, Chirag, 26, in July 2022. In the days following his passing, Elena received a letter from Chirag through the post — dispatched before his death — which spurred her to pursue 50 experiences they had dreamed of sharing. He went further, adding another 51 aspirations he knew Elena had, encouraging her to embrace life fully. Initially, Elena reacted with “anger” to the letter and found herself merely “sleepwalking through life” as she coped with her sorrow. However, nearly three years later, Elena has revisited the letter and is now embarking on fulfilling the “yes list”. Among her accomplishments, she has celebrated her birthday with newfound enjoyment and is planning to dye her hair blonde and visit Stourhead in Wiltshire, the filming location for Pride and Prejudice. Elena, a content creator hailing from Birmingham , West Midlands, shared: “When I first read it I thought ‘what the hell is this?’.” She recounted the letter’s message: “It read ‘I’m really sorry about what I have done but we already had 50 things we wanted to do together – I hope you’ll still do them. I added 50 more things I think you should do’.” Reflecting on her initial reaction, she said: “At the beginning, it was all anger and disbelief and the audacity to send me this. “Now going through it again I still feel some anger but I’m grateful that he sent me that. “He probably knew I wouldn’t want to live anymore. “I’m re-learning how to live. “I’ve called it my yes list.” Elena initially grappled with her heartache when Chirag passed away unexpectedly, sharing, “I did feel completely numb. “Every day felt like a dream for a while. “After the funeral, I completely broke down. “It hit me he was dead and never coming back. “I was walking through life sleepwalking. “I didn’t want to face my grief.” In January 2025, Elena gave in to reviewing Chirag’s note once more – and discovered his advice urging her to seek grief counselling. Post a handful of therapy sessions, she initiated confronting her sorrow, now setting out to gradually accomplish the items listed by Chirag. Commencing her journey, Elena marked off celebrating her birthday on May 11, 2025, stating, “I enjoyed it for the first time in two years. “Doing my birthday was something I did for other people because they know how much I used to enjoy it. “This year I did it for myself.” She described her special day: “I went to the Ivy, and then the Yorkshire Dales with mates – we took to the sauna and hiking.” While certain aspirations such as acquiring a home may span years to fulfil, Elena remains eager to commence the attainable ones soon. Expressing her wishes, she mentioned, “I want to visit the place in Stourhead where Pride and Prejudice was shot. “I’m going to dye my hair blonde as I always said I wanted to do it.” Elena’s list of things to accomplish, courtesy of Chirag, includes adventures such as visiting Bali, scaling Kilimanjaro, and considering a sabbatical. She expressed her astonishment at how Chirag recalled items she mentioned offhandedly years prior. Regarding her ambitions, Elena confided: “I wanted to do something really big for my 30th like going to Thailand. I mentioned it when we first started dating. I don’t know how he remembered that.” She also revealed the lighter side of their exchanges, adding, “There was also bungee jumping – I mentioned it as a joke. I’m terrified of heights.” The notion of future dreams hasn’t been forgotten, with Elena citing, “He’s also put on ‘go on a date’ and ‘fall in love again’ – but that’s for years time.” With newfound optimism influenced by therapy and the inspired list, Elena admits she is experiencing more “ups than downs”. Embracing change, she declared: “Life looks completely different – it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the life I have now.” Elena is intent on living without remorse, stating plainly, “I don’t have to feel guilty about it.” She’s learnt an invaluable lesson in her journey through bereavement, asserting, “Feeling guilty doesn’t bring people back from the dead.” Determined to make a difference through her own experience with loss, Elena hopes to offer support to others. She addressed a cultural reticence around mortality, saying, “We see death as a taboo.” Simplifying a universal truth, she reminded everyone that “Everyone goes through it.” Elena believes passionately in the power of open conversation, explaining, “It’s so important to talk about it even if it’s makes people uncomfortable.” She notes the detrimental effect of silence around death: “The secrecy of it makes people unprepared to deal with it.” Reflecting on Chirag’s character, Elena shared heartfelt memories: “He was the funniest person I have ever met.” Commemorating his generous spirit, she added, “He was so kind. He was always ready to help others.” The list includes – – Just start – Do something you hate – Enjoy your birthday again – Do grief therapy – Do DBT therapy – Dye your hair blonde – Go to Stourhead – Have an Italian summer romance before you’re 30 – Ask your mum to arrange a date for you – Go bungee jumping – Play guitar again and actually become good at it – Climb Kilimanjaro