I guess I just wanted to say that I’m sorry. I never really appreciated you for all of your charm and simplicity until you were gone. Those moments from my childhood were truly magical; from catching fireflies to late night bonfires, swimming in the bay to lying under the stars. Nothing else is quite the same. The same things I complained about when I was younger, how quiet and calm it was, are the things that I yearn for now. Life was easy with you and you were there through it all. For that I am so grateful.

I want to thank you too. You were there for every scraped knee and broken heart. Life wasn’t always easy, but somehow we always made it through. You were there for the good stuff too, the loving moments with friends and the crazy adventures. I might have wished for more excitement from time to time, but I can’t think of any place I would have rather been. Life was easy with you: less stressful, less demanding. Even the stressful things seem less intense in perspective like your presence muted the anxiety. Even today, going home is therapeutic: the air is calming, the water refreshing. No matter how hard the week had been, you can make it all a little easier.

I would give anything for a few more of those stress-free nights, just friends and the sweet summer air. You will always have a place in my heart, right near the center. All of the memories and lessons, the good times and bad, wouldn’t have been the same without you. So thank you and I miss you; our time apart feels longer and longer with every goodbye, but perhaps that makes the time together even sweeter. Don’t change too much, and I will see you soon.

With love,

A small town kid who grew up