To Everyone Who’s Ever Been Someone to Me

Backstory

Recently, I began thinking about how much my life has changed since the beginning of adulthood. Not once and not twice, but multiple times everything around me has seemingly transformed. Each time those changes occurred, I recognized, so had the people who were actively in my life.

Although some endings have been quite painful and unexpected, others have been welcomed and desired. Regardless, every ending has been followed by a beginning, where it always takes some getting used to. Either way, something that I realize now is that you’ve got to make change or change will make you.

Surprisingly, there are patterns within the chaos of change; such as the individuals who’ve played a role in my life. Though I’ve experienced total transformations and several phases, I’m grateful for each one. Therefore, I’m writing this to everyone who’s ever been someone to me.

A Letter

To everyone who’s ever been someone to me,

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   Whether I’ve known you for minutes, days, years, decades, or for my entire life, you’ve impacted me. Some events have been harder to swallow, while others leave me with nothing negative to say and not a single complaint. Yet, for both I’m equally thankful. Not every situation was ideal, while others seemed too good to be true. In the end, it doesn’t matter which role you have played; because I am who I am and in part, it’s due to you. I’m finally proud of the person I am today and I wanted to say thank you.

   Perhaps you are or were a family member, a friend, a partner, a coworker, a teacher, a student, or someone that I briefly met in a store. Maybe you’re someone in my life now or someone who has been in my life before. Perhaps you’re long gone or not on this earth anymore. To you, I give reverence to the time we’ve shared, especially to those that I will share no more.

Through a laugh, we shared joy. Through tears, we bonded. We had conversations where your delicate words crossed me over a threshold to a place yet unexplored. There have been bad times as many as there have been great. Today, however, I realize it’s one and the same.

   You probably never knew it, but you helped to change me, to shape me. Because you influenced the other versions of me, I’ve grown into someone I can be proud of. I figured that was worth mentioning to you. To me, it really matters.

   You’ve assisted me in gaining self-awareness and discovering who it is that I am. You’ve been a part of the process, a sea of lessons that I’ve been learning about the world in which I find myself in. I’m sure that you can relate. Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks!

Thanks for helping me to determine who I am!

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