Dear Brittany,

I’ll never forget the smile on your face, the way you peered deeply, kindly, into my soul. You were a friend I could count on to listen, to care. Whether we were talking about a paper we needed to complete, or our loved ones back home, you always gave me your full attention. The slight tilt of your head and the way you nodded at just the right time indicated you really wanted to know, you really wanted to hear, you really were concerned. You made me feel like there wasn’t anyone else in the world you’d rather be talking to at that moment.

And you were so, so sweet.

Have you ever met someone so sugary sweet you actually thought for a moment it couldn’t possibly be true? There’s no way a person could ever be that sweet. There’s no way a person could be that kind. There’s no way a person could be that gracious, that lovely, that pure, that real. But time marches on, and after repeated interactions with the individual, you discover there’s no facade. There’s not one ounce of putting on, pretending, make-believing the sweetness. It’s authentic, it’s real. You’ve found a hidden treasure, a diamond in the rough. You’d do anything to grab ahold of that sweetness and bottle it up for a lifetime.

Brittany, there’s one thing I know for sure. You’re the real deal.

In 37 years, I’ve only met one other person as genuinely sweet as you. I was truly blessed by your presence in my life those two years of graduate school.

I pray you feel loved as much as you made me feel loved. I pray you feel cared for as much as you cared for me. I pray you’ve found someone who will listen to you as much as you listened to me. And I pray you have someone who tends your heart, who pays careful attention to your needs, just as much as you tended to me.

Bless your heart, sweet friend. I remember you fondly, and will consider it a gift, a pure privilege when our paths cross again.

Sincerely,

Amy

*If you’d like to read more from my #31Days Letters to the Unthanked series, click here for the landing page where all the letters are listed and linked!