There is a certain relief that floods me when I remember I have a reliable group of people to lean on. These are my people to cry with, to laugh with, to eat with, to grow with. We have found each other through magically twisted paths of fate, and we've remained together through it all. These are the people I can call on when I need support, or entertainment, or a helping hand.

This is a thank you letter to my tribe.

Over the years we have expanded and grown. You all know me; many of you know each other. Some of us were connected by blood, some by luck, some by stubborn persistence. It humbles my heart to know that so many of you have chosen to love each other simply because I love you all. We are a carefully wound web of shoulders to lean on, and I marvel at the view from the center of it all.

I have felt overwhelming heartbreak in the past. I remember my mom weeping into my pillow over the impossibility of protecting me from the pain this world can show us. I remember comforting her then, with a light heart, as I told her, "I have such a wonderful tribe around me. That's all I need."

You are the people who say, "If you want to talk, I'm here to listen," and you allow me to ramble my thoughts endlessly until I can make sense of my feelings.

You are the people who say, "Let's get out of the house and breathe a little," and you don't mind if we sit in the park in silence as long as there's the shadow of a smile on my lips when the day is done.

You are the people who hold me so tight. You are the people who tell corny jokes and take silly pictures. You are the people who love me with no limits, and I want all of you to know that I love you boundlessly too.

I've made it to where I am with a lot of my own will, but I am happy and I am strong because I had friends who hugged me in the darkness and guided me towards brighter days.

My tribe, I cannot thank you enough for that.