To the people who inspire me,

I'd tell you this to your face, but we don't know each other very well. We've had classes together, and we're friends, but not close friends. Not close enough for me to say this without feeling extremely awkward.

We all have these people in our lives. The ones that maybe we don't know their whole story, but there's things they do that resonate with you. This is in no way one person, but a whole host of people I've encountered in my life.

So, to the person who found themselves in a hard situation and then proceeded to not only make the best of it, but thrive and prove every nay-sayer way the f wrong, thank you. You showed me that unexpected circumstances aren't always bad.

To the person who didn't care what anyone said and was a friend to everyone, thank you. It may have been middle school, but you showed me that what people may say doesn't matter as much as how you treat other people.

To the person who stopped to ask if I was okay when someone close to me said something they shouldn't have and it got back to you, thank you for not spreading their words farther. Thank you for caring even though we weren't that close.

To the person who struggled for years but still managed to smile and make everyone's day just a bit brighter, thank you. Thank you for showing me that even when you're hurting, you can make some else's day a little better.

To the person who fought tooth and nail and never complained when they weren't rewarded, thank you. You've taught me over and over that just because life doesn't turn out how you think it should doesn't mean you get to quit.

To the person who showed me confidence isn't about your sizes, thank you. It's a lesson I need and use to this day.

To the one who lives with loss, but still smiles and laughs and has time to listen, thank you. I hope that when the day comes I can be as strong as you.

There's a whole host of others, but our attention spans are only so long. Hopefully one day I get the chance to thank the rest of you.