Dear Friends

July 25th, 2014

Dear Friends, 

It is July 25th, and all I can think about is how soon I will leave you. It is night, and, lying under the clear stars, I am reminded that I can count the nights I have left with you in the way that I cannot count the stars.

At first, all those weeks ago, I doubted that I’d be able to learn all your names and faces. You were all very scary strangers to me. Strangely enough, I now can’t imagine my life without you, and I can’t imagine what I will be doing so far away from you in just a matter of weeks.

It’s cheesy, and it’s true, that you’ve all given me the great first of meeting you and sharing moments of our lives. During those hard days, a smile, a simple smile from you was all I needed to help me out.

A hug. A high five. A smile from across the field.

Acknowledgements that we were in this together even as we kept moving from one place to another meant the world to me it was only then that I had proof that you cared.

And in those moments few and far between when we were able to talk. Talk for real about things that matter to us, I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that you cared to know me, just as I wanted to learn about who you are and how you are.

In your smiles, your support, your much loved friendship you have given me more gifts than you know. For that, I am eternally grateful.

As I look forward in to the future months and years, all I can say, with tears in my eyes and throat is that I hope you will stay there with me. And that I’ll stay there with you, even once we are gone from the place that brought us together.