A Really Kindred Spirit To Whom I Can Confide My Inmost Soul

I hope L.M. Montgomery will forgive me for quoting her in my title, but I could think of no better way to describe my dear friends who have done so much for me lately. They are, as so dramatically dubbed by Anne of Green Gables, really kindred spirits to whom I can, and have, confided my inmost soul. This is a tribute to them.

To you, embarking on the journey of your true passion, thank you. You solidified everything I knew to be true about you with your decision, with the beautiful words that you wrote to yourself and allowed me to read. I never doubted for a moment that your heart wouldn’t eventually lead you here, to this amazing adventure, to your amazing skill. I never doubted for a moment your ability to accomplish anything you put your mind to because underneath all of that skill and passion and determination, you’re YOU. I never doubted for a moment the importance of that. You are so talented and kind and smart and admirable. You have allowed me, time and time again, to share in all of your endless triumphs and I am so forever grateful to you for it. You are a rare and remarkable person and friend, and I love you for it. No, that’s not it, “love is too weak a word for what I feel. I luuurve you, I loave you, I luff you, two f’s.” Here’s to living so fully that we won’t ever have to dream of things that we might have been. Here’s to you, my pride, my joy, my friend. Here’s to you, my hero.

To you, who spent last night discussing with me life and all that it entails, thank you. I feel as though I’ve been bombarding you with these sentiments lately, but in truth (always in truth), recently every time I’ve sat down to write, I’ve thought of you. Partly because I know that you’re reading, and partly because I’ve wanted to say all of these things to you so many times before and have only now found the courage to do so. I want to tell you that, without exhausting the idea, I utterly adore you. I awoke this morning still beaming with the delight of our conversation. The frustration with my inability to spark new ideas that I spoke of in my blog yesterday is always completely eradicated after a few words with you. You ignite realizations within me about who I am and how I am and I can’t begin to adequately express how grateful I am to you for it. You are, undeniably, one of the smartest people I’ve ever known. You are knowledgeable and wise, and your extraordinary desire to know more about the world is a constant source of inspiration for me. I love that there are so many layers to you and that as each one is revealed in some way, it only makes me more appreciative of you, for you. I love that every time I think that I couldn’t possibly have any more respect for you than I already do, you manage to take it to another level, another realm of admiration I didn’t know existed. I love that I can have a four-hour conversation with you and it only leaves me wanting more. Here’s to a lifetime of great discussions to come. Here’s to you, and your endless ability to amaze me. Here’s to you, my new, dear, phenomenal friend.

To you, who knows me better than I know myself, thank you. I could try to explain how much I love you and miss you and how proud of you I am, but the explanation seems to pale in the light of the emotions themselves. There isn’t anything new that I could tell you here that I haven’t already told you a thousand times before. Not a day goes by when I don’t think of you. Every time I laugh, I realize the depth of how much I miss the sound of yours. Every time I cry, I long for the comfort of your presence. Every time a story presents itself, it’s you I want to tell first. You know all my stories and secrets and thoughts, sometimes before I do. You make family out of strangers because you see the world as one big human family, and you know that you belong in it. You live the way I dream to, full of energy and happiness and profound revelations. Your life burns with meaning. If I could be more like anyone on this earth, it would be you, because everything about you screams beauty. Here’s to everything you’ve taught me about life. Here’s to you, and your all-consuming beauty. Here’s to you, my best friend.

And to you, each and every kindred spirit, thank you. Here’s to friendship. Here’s to love. Here’s to confiding our inmost souls on this miraculous journey called life.