September 26, 2023

K.,

Thank you for sending this letter. I've read it several times and taken some time to process it. Sometimes it's made me smile and sometimes it's made me cry, both positive emotions. It brought to the surface so many parts of our lives that I've been a bit scared or hesitant to reflect on. There's one line that is the most powerful and I'm glad to have had a part in bringing it about in you, no matter how small. 'The peace of knowing that the future has only the option to be good.' Everyone deserves this. And it's only you who can bring it about for yourself, I can only be a catalyst.

I've often thought I only brought pain and disappointment to you by not reciprocating your love in the same way. That this somehow cheapened the positives we had or maybe made them inauthentic. You gave me everything and I couldn't give you the same. Your letter has changed this thinking now. I feel better not because of any good I may have done, but because of how you described your current state and how your life outlook contains so much. I still care and always will care about you deeply, and knowing that you feel you've grown positively through our time together makes me feel close to you again. Your happiness will always be a piece of my happiness and it will be a very long time until I will be ready again to care for someone as much as I cared for you. 

When we were together, you showed me what it means to truly live for others. To understand the needs of the world and the community you reside in and make sacrifices to bring about positive change. I count myself so lucky to have had the opportunity to know you intimately and learn this from you. Your soul is so incredibly deep and you deserve to be loved just as deeply. I will continue to reflect on what you've shared to understand more about you, myself, and what impact our time together had on our lives.

Don't hesitate to reach out again.