I sit here trying to feel . . .

. . . but I am numb.

And yet I do care.

How do I say that sometimes memory is the most important vehicle for living alive? How do I say, Remember, oh please remember?

Because if you do, you will know that your potential is infinite, your capacity vast, your dreams important to reach out towards as if to snatch them up and hold them close to your skin. If you remember, you will know that you are more than okay always even when the terrain in this forsaken land is rutted with hurtful words and jagged with disappointment. Know this, remember it always, these words spoken by a dear friend: I find you to be exceptional. It is true.

May we all live exceptional lives.

I speak these hopeful lines with intent, even though I am sitting here almost entirely numb.