Many of you may remember being approached by my sister, Abby, a few years back for a Christmas present for me. I was having a difficult year dealing with the uncertainty of the future, my calling, and insecurities surrounding my inability to achieve what I thought was my greatest desire (medical school). As a gift, my sister decided to compile a journal filled with notes and letters from my close friends over the years in an overwhelming effort to encourage me and show me how blessed I am.

I found this journal again last night and discovered that I have never felt less alone in my life. Inside the pages there are statements promising to never give up, challenges to stretch myself, reminders to be gentle, memories both joyful and tearful, promises of future adventures, and ultimately a pile of gorgeous words and feelings to drown in. How did I manage to read this three years ago and not take the time to properly thank all of my people? So here it is today, on Good Friday.

Thank you. Thank you to the friends, sisters, roommates, aunts, ballers, giraffes, scholars, artists, adventurers and desert wives of my life. Thank you for taking the time to share name acronyms, inside jokes, fond memories and kind words with me throughout our time together and in the form of this journal that I cherish so deeply. Thank you for filling my love tank.

If I may quote an incredibly articulate giraffe whom I adore from my toes to my imaginary mouse-whiskers: "And even now, over the treetops and time distance that separates us, you're still here: in the times that I miss you."