Dear God,

Please take good care of my Grandma Yaya. I know she is with my Grandpa now, and that she is happy to be in your arms. I will always remember her crinkly eyes, her perfect cheeks, her happy smile, her generosity. I know that she was ready to see you and Grandpa, and I thank you for standing by her until the end.

Dear Sister,

Remember that one time that you came over and we had lunch and got haircuts and talked about life and love and happiness? Let’s do that again soon.

Dear Summer,

I know that I used to hate you, and curse you, and wait impatiently for you to leave. I had no idea that a daily visit to Deep Eddy would make me adore you, and praise you, and hope that you never leave. Sorry about that.

Dear Husband,

It’s your turn to hide the bat. I wouldn’t mind if you hid it in a box of Godiva chocolates.

Dear J.E.,

I wonder if you know how much impact your note had on me? If you have any idea how badly it was needed, and how fantastic it made me feel? I’ll make sure to tell you when I see you.

Dear Mom and Dad,

Today I was thinking about how Dad took me fishing that one time, and it was windy and cold, and I only caught two measly perch. And how when I got home, Mom cooked them in cornmeal and I had a feast. You guys sure know how to treat a kid right.

Dear Publishing World,

I still believe in you. Keep going, keep writing, keep photographing, keep inspiring. I will never tire of the feel of paper in my hands, the turning of a page, the anticipation of the next issue in my mail box. I will keep subscribing as long as you keep publishing.

Dear Internets,

I have no idea how many of you are out there, but I imagine that you are all my far away friends. Whoever you are, wherever you are, know that I appreciate you and think of you often.

**I wrote this about a week ago, but it seems to all still make sense. May we all have a wonderful week!♥