Of all the memories, the first one that comes to mind is knocking on your window at Trop every Tuesday and Thursday morning of freshman year.
You would crack open your curtain, give me the thumbs up, and then stumble out of bed half asleep, to come eat breakfast with me before I went to class, where we would most likely have discussed one of the many boys who were in love with you ;)
Within weeks of meeting you it seemed like we already knew each other for years, and so I guess it’s only appropriate that since it’s now been years, it feels as though it’s been decades.
When I told Mia that you had gotten your dream job, she responded with something along the lines of “of course she did, they probably gave it to her as soon as they met her.”
After she met you in New York she told me that you have the amazing ability to make the person you are talking to feel as though they are the only one in the room; that you are giving them every part of your focus and energy, and that you want nothing more than to hear whatever it is they might want to talk about. I had never been able to pinpoint it so precisely myself, but you have a way of seducing people with your energy; and the most important quality you have is my favorite quality that a person can have: passion. You speak with passion, you listen with passion, and you feel passionately. I cannot explain how much I admire passion in people, and I think it is one of the most important drivers not only in success, fulfillment, but also purpose and happiness.
I am so unbelievably proud of you, happy for you, and slightly jealous of you that you have found your passion, and that everyday you are living it out and doing “what lights your fire,” as my coach Don would say. I honestly don’t know if I could think of more than a couple other people our age, or any age, who are actually doing exactly what they want to be doing, and directly making a positive difference in people’s lives as a result of it. You are amazing, and the most amazing part for me in all of this is that you are one of the people who believes in my potential more than almost anyone else, and your support means so incredibly much to me. If I am ever half as successful and accomplished as you think I am going to be, then I will be eternally happy. Or maybe I wouldn’t, because knowing how much you think I am capable of would push me not to settle. Either way, it means the world to me, and I can’t stress that enough. Thank you.
There are so many things I could say and memories that I want to list, but for now I really just want to tell you how much I love you and how happy I am to have you in my life.