To be honest, I don't even know how to begin this letter. Do I say "Dear Amy"? Do I say "Dear Ms. Poehler"? Or do I just cut to the chase and start writing away? (I guess I went with the third option, I hope you're okay with that.) I've never really written a letter to a celebrity before, but I've written plenty to people I love, so I'm going to address you the way I would a friend.

Amy,

You are one of my favorite people. In fact, most times, you're my most favorite person and you don't even know me, but that's okay. Your characters (from "cool mom" Mrs. George to the lovely Leslie Knope to spunky Joy and responsible Maura), your organization and just you all inspire me. You inspire me. You are such a positive influence in the world. You bring so many smiles and laughs into my life and to so many other people.

You are a prime example of how to have healthy friendships and how to love yourself. You always remind me that there is still time to be the person I want to be; that if I love myself enough and treat myself the way I treat people I love, I'll be a better me. Because of your positivity and your comedy, I feel like there is so much more to life than self-deprecating humor and self-hate. You've allowed me to believe in all the clichés and that there's light at the end of the tunnel.

There are moments when I stumble upon your quotes and I'm filled with this indescribable happiness. Like when I was freaking out about studying abroad and wondering if people would think my humor was weird I remembered that you said, "There's power in looking silly and not caring that you do." Or when I was extremely sad for an entire month and I kept telling myself that I was awful and didn't deserve happiness the quote, "We say things to ourselves that we'll never say to a friend, give yourself a break," appeared from the universe to me.

I guess I'm writing this letter and fangirling so much right now because I wanted to take an opportunity to say, thank you. Thank you for being such a positive role model. Thank you for creating Leslie Knope. Thank you for being best friends with Tina Fey and creating movies with her. Thank you for being a feminist. Thank you for being an incredible human being. I know that I don't personally know you, and I know that you most definitely do not know me, but like I said before, that's okay.

Maybe one day, we'll meet and I'll cry from pure happiness or maybe we won't. No matter what, one thing is for sure: I love you. Not in a creepy, stalker way in which you need to fear for your life (I promise I'm not crazy). I love you in a platonic way. In the way that the entire world loves Adele, or in the way that a dog loves peanut butter. Maybe these are bad examples of love, but I'm gonna stick to them.

I love you, Amy Poehler, simply for the way you are yourself and how you change lives.

Thank you,

A totally sane "Parks and Recreation" fan