I was asked earlier this week to write a letter for an anniversary book of a center where i do office hours. in my heart though, i knew that i needed to share it with all of the survivors that i’ve gotten to interact with over my career and through this blog. so here is my letter to you.
Dear/To/Hello and other pleasantries seem to be not enough to begin this letter to the bright and brave people I have come to know at my life Each of you have brought so much to my life; you’ve challenged me, you’ve changed me. You have made me see the world brighter, you’ve given me hope.
Despite the pain, the obstacles you’ve faced (and overcame), the people who had to learn weren’t in your corner; you keep going. You are warriors. You brave this world and everything it throws your way. And I can’t even begin to explain how it feels to know that you have invited us (all of us in your corner) in on this journey with you. The trust, the honesty, the bravery, the vulnerability that it takes to invite someone into life with you is far beyond anything I’ve encountered.
To my deep thinkers, my folks who feel too much, who experience emotions in very intense ways: I wish you peace. I wish you space to welcome those feelings in. Roll around in those feelings, name them what you want.
To my people who use humor, I wish you deep, belly laughs. I wish you community that laughs with you to tears. I wish you laughter that stills your breath away. I wish for you joy in those moments.
To the ones looking to find relationships again, I wish you incredibly patient partners. That they provide you with the safety, that they listen to you. I wish that you find someone kind and brave, that you trust.
To the ones who are still struggling, who still haven’t found your space; I wish you comfort in knowing it’s okay to not be okay yet. It’s okay to struggle, to still be sad, to still be angry. This journey is about you, no one else has to be satisfied by your healing. You take all the time that you need. We will still be here.
No one gets to define what this journey is or when it ends for you. You do. You call the shots.
Lastly, I want you to know that you have built community. You have made a place of refuge. The world wouldn’t be what it is without you. We wouldn’t be what we are without you. Thank you for making my world, and everyone else’s, brighter and better.