I truly believe that the greatest gift that you can give to another person is to genuinely let them know that who they are and what they do matters. It has been my goal in 2014 to become a more thoughtful person. A string of deaths to some individuals who positively affected my life led me to conceive this series. As the words to my favorite song go, “And for those who have stood by my side, you are the story I tell.” You are the words and pages to my story.
Over the course of the next several months, I will be writing open letters to those who have positively impacted my story. I’m not going to lie. It is my goal to make you cry, not out of grief or pain but out of the realization that you do truly matter. I am not doing this in order of how important you are to me. For the most part (other than birthdays or other important events), the letters will be done in a random order. I hope you enjoy, and I hope you come away from this with the realization that you are extremely important to me.
Dear Jess, Manda, and Janelle,
Many people came and left the ACSB way back when, both guys and girls alike. Heck, it’s been a good number of years since I’ve even made my way over there. But whether you know it or not, the three of you had a big impact on my life ten years ago and set the groundwork for the following decade.
Jess, you have the distinction of being my first online friend. I made the decision to post in your Valentine’s Day stalker topic because the situation hit close to home (of course, in my situation, I was the one being accused of being the stalker haha). I then decided to hit you up on AIM. We hit it off and became friends. Looking back, that was a huge deal. I wasn’t the most confident guy in the world at that point by any stretch of the imagination. Taking that step to contact a total stranger was a huge deal. If you hadn’t treated me well (and really, you had no reason to), I would’ve figuratively packed my bags and went home. It was my first foray into the world of online friendships. You treated me well, and you opened the door for me to make countless other lasting and meaningful relationships over the past decade.
Our communications are always on and off, but when they’re on, they’re great. You will always have a very special place in my heart as my first online friend. You treated me well and helped me believe in myself a little more than I had. You put up with me even at my most persistent. I’m pretty sure you were the one who once described me as “persistent almost to the point of obsession.” I’m not sure I’ve ever been described better. Thanks for always being my friend.
Manda, you have the distinction of being my first friend who didn’t fit the narrow description that I thought all my friends would have. To that point, all my friends fit within this small, homogeneous box. I wasn’t used to people who were different. You, however, were different. I didn’t know it right away. In fact, I didn’t know for a few months. That was probably the best possible thing for me. It taught me that people who were different than me could be amazing people and still be great friends and that I would be missing out on a lot in life if I was so narrow-minded with my friends. You set the groundwork for me to react appropriately when I found out a few years later that one of my closest friends did not fit inside that box, either.
Though I do not do as good of a job as I should in keeping in touch, I want you to know how proud I am of you as a person. Your inner strength has been apparent since day one, and you’ve always been a great friend and great big sister. I’m going to do better at reminding you how proud I am of you.
Janelle, you might be the hardest working friend I have. I’ve yet to meet someone more organized, passionate, and determined. When you want something, you put forth a plan in motion to go and get it. I have always admired that trait about you. You have never been shy to speak your mind, and while that attribute might be seen as a weakness in other people, in you it has always been a strength. Your opinions have always been well-informed, and I’ve always appreciated your passion in what you believe. I always appreciate the opportunity to catch up with you. You’ve helped me learn so much about myself, and you’ve always been extremely helpful. Your advice ranks among the best I have ever received.
In a time period when I wasn’t all that good making meaningful connections with females, the three of you were exactly what I needed. You helped an awkward kid grow into his skin, so to speak. You helped me to become comfortable with who I was, and you helped me to eventually grow into a more confident person. I am proud to know each of you, and I am excited to see what the future has in store for you.
Love always,
Jakob
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