You know I greatly admire your compassion for others. I find it so fitting that you found your way into nursing. In that vein, I think you like to know that what you do — who you are — helps others.

You helped me. Our tiny mini-relationship taught me something important — that I can make a human connection with another person, and that I’m not trapped by my sense of loss. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if this could be true again.

It may be small, but even learning that I can enjoy the feeling of another person leaning against me on a bench, without it feeling like I’m sharing a bit of benign affection with the “wrong person”. When I find myself feeling imprisoned by my past, I can better see now that I’m not there because of necessity, but choice.

On our last call, you told me that I made you feel incredibly seen. I’ve come to view that as the nicest compliment someone’s ever given me. It meant a lot to hear. It’s meant more to think about. It’s helped me better understand what matters to me, and who I want to be for someone else.

I hope we both find all we are looking for, and I’m glad that in this process, I found you. Our time together was brief but nutritious — including, but not limited to your gourd soup.






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