LETTER TO FATHER

YOU WALKED BESIDE ME IN SILENCE.
THERE WERE NO WORDS, BUT YOUR PRESENCE SPOKE LOUDER THAN ANY CONVERSATION COULD.
YOU SAW ME, TRULY SAW ME,
NOT AS SOMEONE TO MOLD OR SHAPE,
BUT AS SOMEONE TO WITNESS AND UNDERSTAND.

IN YOUR SILENCE, I FOUND STRENGTH.
IN YOUR STILLNESS, I FOUND DIRECTION.
YOU DIDN’T NEED TO SPEAK FOR ME TO KNOW YOU WERE THERE.
YOUR STEPS ECHOED ALONGSIDE MINE,
IN PERFECT RHYTHM,
EVEN WHEN THE WORLD AROUND US SEEMED CHAOTIC.

I KNEW YOU WERE LISTENING,
NOT JUST TO THE SOUND OF MY VOICE,
BUT TO THE SUBTLE SHIFTS IN MY THOUGHTS,
THE SPACES BETWEEN WORDS,
THE PARTS OF ME I HADN’T YET FOUND THE COURAGE TO EXPRESS.

IN YOUR EYES, I FELT SEEN
NOT FOR THE PERSON I WAS EXPECTED TO BE,
BUT FOR THE PERSON I TRULY AM.
YOU GAVE ME THE FREEDOM TO BECOME,
TO WALK MY PATH,
EVEN WHEN I DIDN’T KNOW WHERE IT WAS LEADING.

YET, IN ALL THAT SILENCE,
I KNOW THERE WAS SO MUCH YOU WANTED TO SAY.
AND I WAS WAITING,
WAITING FOR THE MOMENT WHEN THE WORDS WOULD COME.
BUT PERHAPS THE SILENCE WAS ENOUGH.
PERHAPS IT WAS ALL WE NEEDED.

I’VE LEARNED THAT SOMETIMES,
WORDS ARE UNNECESSARY.
SOMETIMES, THE GREATEST GIFT IS SIMPLY THE COMPANY OF SOMEONE WHO SEES YOU

WITHOUT JUDGMENT,
WITHOUT EXPECTATION,
JUST BEING.

THANK YOU,
FOR WALKING BESIDE ME
IN THAT QUIET, UNWAVERING PRESENCE.

LETTER TO MOTHER

YOU WERE NEVER FAR.
THOUGH YOU WERE NOT ALWAYS BESIDE ME,
I FELT YOU IN THE AIR AROUND ME.
IN THE SPACES WHERE I COULDN’T SEE YOU,
I COULD FEEL YOU.
YOU WERE HERE, ALWAYS.

WHERE MY FATHER SAW ME,
YOU FELT ME.
YOU UNDERSTOOD ME IN WAYS WORDS COULD NEVER CONVEY,
IN WAYS THAT TRANSCENDED PHYSICAL DISTANCE.
YOU DIDN’T NEED TO SPEAK
FOR ME TO KNOW THAT YOU WERE RIGHT THERE WITH ME.
IN THE STILLNESS OF YOUR ABSENCE,
YOUR PRESENCE WAS MORE REAL THAN ANYTHING.

IT WAS LIKE A SOFT WHISPER OF THE FOREST,
A QUIET PULL IN THE HEART,
A KNOWING THAT EVEN WHEN YOU WERE NOT NEAR,
YOU WERE WITH ME
IN EVERY STEP,
IN EVERY BREATH.

I KNOW THAT YOU SAW ME, TOO,
BUT YOU DIDN’T ALWAYS NEED TO SEE.
YOUR LOVE REACHED ME THROUGH THE SPACES IN MY HEART,
THROUGH THE MOMENTS WHEN I WAS LONELY,
BUT NEVER TRULY ALONE.

IN THE SILENCE OF YOUR PRESENCE,
I LEARNED TO TRUST.
I LEARNED THAT LOVE ISN’T ALWAYS LOUD,
BUT IT IS ALWAYS THERE.
IT’S THE KIND OF LOVE THAT DOESN’T NEED TO BE EXPLAINED,
BECAUSE IT’S FELT IN THE DEEPEST PARTS OF WHO WE ARE.

I CARRY YOU WITH ME,
IN THE RHYTHM OF MY HEARTBEAT,
IN THE QUIET MOMENTS WHEN THE WORLD FADES AWAY.
YOU ARE ALWAYS HERE,
ALWAYS PRESENT,
IN WAYS THAT CAN’T BE TOUCHED,
BUT CAN ALWAYS BE FELT.

THANK YOU,
FOR BEING THE SILENT PULSE THAT GUIDES ME,
EVEN FROM AFAR.