ALettertoaDistantFriend（ThePowerofWordsandFriendship）

Preface:

Distanceisnotjustphysical,itcouldbeastateofmindorafeelingthatkeepsusapartfromthosewecareabout.It'sthefeelingoflonelinessthatcreepsin,thelongingforthefamiliarwarmthofahugorthesoundofafamiliarvoice.Butdistancealsohasthepowertostrengthenbonds,tomakeusvaluewhatwehave,andtogiveustheopportunitytoconnectwithothersinnewandmeaningfulways.ThisisastoryaboutaletterIwrotetoafriendwhowasfaraway,andhowthatletterchangedeverything.

Paragraph1:

Thesummerofmyfifteenthyearwashotandlong,andIspentmostofitathome,readingbooksanddreamingofadventures.ButIalsomissedmyfriend,Emily,whohadmovedawaytoanotherstate.Weusedtobeinseparable,sharingsecretsanddreams,laughingandcryingtogether.Butnow,shewashundredsofmilesaway,andallwehadleftweresporadicphonecallsandtheoccasionaltextmessage.

Paragraph2:

Oneday,whilebrowsingthroughmycollectionofstationeryandpens,Icameacrossablanksheetofpaperwithapictureofaunicornonit.Thepaperwassoftanddelicate,andIknewimmediatelythatitwasmeantforsomethingspecial.IdecidedtowritealettertoEmily,tellingherallaboutmysummer,mythoughts,andmyhopes.

Paragraph3:

AsIbegantowrite,myhandshookwithexcitementandnerves.IthadbeensolongsinceIhadwrittenarealletter,onethatwasn'tjustaformalityoraquickmessage.Itookmytime,choosingmywordscarefully,tryingtoconveyalltheemotionsthathadbeenbottledupinsidemeforweeks.

Paragraph4:

Iwroteaboutthesunnydaysandthethunderstorms,thebooksIhadread,andthedreamsIhaddreamed.Iwroteaboutmyfamilyandmypets,myfears,andmyaspirations.Ipouredmyheartoutontothepaper,notholdingback,notworryingaboutgrammarorspelling.

Paragraph5:

WhenIfinishedwriting,Ireadtheletteroverandover,makingsureitwasperfect.Then,Ifoldeditneatly,putitinanenvelope,andsealeditwithakiss.IaddressedittoEmily'soldaddress,hopingthatshestilllivedthereorthatsomeonewouldforwardittoher.

Paragraph6:

Daysturnedintoweeks,andIdidn'thearbackfromEmily.Istartedtoworrythattheletterhadgottenlostinthemailorthatshehadmovedagainwithouttellingme.Butthen,oneday,whenIwasfeelingparticularlylonelyanddown,aletterarrivedinthemailwithafamiliarhandwritingonit.

Paragraph7:

MyheartskippedabeatasItoreopentheenvelope,eagertoreadwhatEmilyhadtosay.ButwhenIunfoldedtheletter,Isawthatitwasonlyonepagelong,writtenonatornpieceofnotebookpaper.

Paragraph8:

"DearSarah,"itsaid."Thanksforyourletter.Imissyoutoo.Lifehereisokay.Schoolstartsnextweek.Love,Emily."

Paragraph9:

IfeltapangofdisappointmentandfrustrationasIreadthosefewwords.Wasthatallshehadtosay?Wasthatallshecaredabout?Ifeltlikemyeffortandmylovehadbeenwastedonsomeonewhodidn'tappreciateit.

Paragraph10:

Butthen,asIre-readmyownletter,Irealizedsomethingimportant.Myletterwasn'tjustaboutEmily'sresponseorlackthereof.Itwasaboutmereachingouttoher,aboutmeexpressingmyselfandsharingmythoughtswithsomeoneIcaredabout.Itwasaboutmetakingachanceandbeingvulnerable,regardlessoftheoutcome.

Paragraph11:

IdecidedthatIwouldn'tletEmily'sbriefresponsediscourageme.Iwouldkeepwritingletterstoher,sharingmylifewithher,andhopingthatshewouldeventuallyopenuptoo.

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Andso,Idid.Iwrotetohereveryweek,tellingheraboutmyclasses,myfriends,mycrushes,myhobbies,andmystruggles.Itoldhereverything,knowingthatevenifshedidn'trespondinkind,itwasstillworthit.

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Weeksturnedintomonths,andmonthsturnedintoyears.IkeptwritingtoEmily,evenwhenshedidn'twriteback.Andthen,oneday,whenIhadalmostgivenuphope,aletterarrivedinthemailthatchangedeverything.

Paragraph14:

Itwasalongletter,writtenonthesamedelicatepaperasmine,butwithadifferentpictureonit-adragonfly.Emilyhadwrittenaboutherlife,herdreams,herfears,andheraspirations.Shehadsharedthingswithmethatshehadneversharedwithanyoneelse.

Paragraph15:

"I'msorryittookmesolongtorespond,"shewrote."Iwasscared,Sarah.Iwasscaredofopeningup,ofbeingvulnerable,ofdisappointingyou.Butyourlettergavemecourage.Itshowedmethatsomeonecaredaboutme,thatsomeonebelievedinme.Ican'tpromisetowritebackallthetime,butIpromisetotry.Thankyouforbeingmyfriend."

Paragraph16:

TearsstreameddownmyfaceasIreadthosewords.Theyweremoreprecioustomethananygiftoranycompliment.Theywerethewordsofafriendwhohadfinallyfoundherwaybacktome.

Paragraph17:

Fromthenon,EmilyandIwrotetoeachotherregularly,exchanginglettersandphotos,sharingourjoysandoursorrows.Wemayhavebeenseparatedbydistance,butwewereunitedbythepowerofwordsandfriendship.

Paragraph18:

Yearswentby,andEmilyandIgrewup,wenttocollege,gotjobs,gotmarried,andhadfamiliesofourown.Butweneverlosttouch,neverlostthehabitofwritingtoeachother,ofkeepingeachotherinourhearts.

Paragraph19:

Andthen,oneday,IreceivedaphonecallfromEmily'shusband.Emilyhadpassedawayinhersleep,hesaid.Shehadbeenillforawhile,butshedidn'twantmetoknow,didn'twanttoburdenmewithherproblems.

Paragraph20:

Iwasdevastated,heartbroken.Icouldn'tbelievethatmydearfriendwasgone,thatIwouldneverhearhervoiceagainorseehersmileorhugher.Butthen,Irememberedsomething.

Paragraph21:

Irememberedtheletterswehadexchanged,thewordswehadwrittentoeachotherovertheyears.Itookthemoutofaboxinmyclosetandreadthemallagain,onebyone,relivingthememoriesandtheemotions.

Paragraph22:

Andthen,Iknewthatdistancecouldn'tkeepusapart,notreally.Becauseaslongastherewereletters,aslongastherewerewordsofloveandfriendship,Emilywouldalwaysbewithme,closetomyheart.

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