The space to be

Thank you,

For helping me be who I want to be.
Not everyone gets to be us—
to live with purpose,
to make things that make sense to us.

I’ve known many people.
Friendships come and go—
bound by shared interests,
undone by time,
or marriage,
or the quiet drift after love.

But you stayed.
You painted with me.
Tried to make films with me.
We’ve clashed,
said things we didn’t mean.
Still, we gave each other space
to breathe,
to grow.

You reminded me:
Romance isn’t everything.
There’s more.
And I can be more—
even without the past,
even without who I once was.

Thank you for seeing me
when I forget to see myself.
Thank you for growing with me.
And thank you, me,
for not giving up.
For letting myself live gently sometimes.
For still choosing the heart.