I don't expect any kind of response. This is kind of like my message in a bottle. I'm tossing this out, letting it go away, imagining it turn into 0s and 1s, drifting away. I imagine it getting lost out there, maybe finding you, maybe not.

I just wanted to tell you some things, one last time. I wanted to tell you and maybe this is completely selfish of me to interrupt your life and place this in front of you.

I think, though, that if someone can hear this about themselves, maybe they should, just to know that somewhere someone thinks this about them.

You've touched my life in ways I don't think you could even imagine. The music I listen to, the way I dress, how I try to carry myself, everything. I'm trying to live my life so that if you came up to me I could tell you all this stuff, unashamedly, and you would be proud of me.

You've set this incredibly high standard for the other people I date, and I thank you for that. You have been the only woman who has made me feel unafraid of being loved. I wasn't worried about not being good enough, I guess is what I'm trying to say.

You were such an incredible girl back then and I can't imagine the woman you've grown into. I always admired your strength and your guts and your courage and your talent I never told you like I should have.

I just wanted to thank you. For everything, all the little stuff that you couldn't begin to imagine impacting me.

As always,