February 10, 2019

Dear T,

I write to remind you of the gift that life is. I want you to realize and remember that it is a gift that you must never take lightly. That you will go through many dark phases, but always emerge stronger, clearer and a little more compassionate. That the demons of childhood do go away, and when you are 30, memories of that time will feel like stills from another life, or reels from a movie that you felt deeply. They will not affect you or define you, but they will shape you. T, you will spend life looking to get better, and this will sail you through a lot. But you must remember to not seek perfection, which you tend to do. You must let go of shame and fear. You know that people do not need to earn love; they deserve it, irrespective of who they are. Do not make yourself an exception. You will love and laugh and forgive easily, and you will get hurt a lot. But you must not get cynical. At around 30, you will learn that you do not carry the weight of the world on your shoulders and that the only way to change the world is to begin with yourself, and that the process of change begins with acceptance. You will learn to hold greys, and be gentler on yourself and others. I hope you remember to laugh and have fun.

Love,
T