So it's really farewell to everything like the Winchester

In general, life's pretty much on display in a museum under thin, labeled glass - for anyone in the world to see. Y'see- I'm good at picking up the proverbial pen and paper, scribbling down the days, and writing my soul away. It's simple when you have the page - the written word - the persona.

I know, we've talked about this before - you and I. People've said words like these. I've thought thoughts like these. We've all known phrases and sentences and grammatical syntaxes like these. And we've walked around the maypole with the ribbons in our hands and in our hair -- danced around them, walked with and beside them, skirted them, and splashed in their lavishing coolness. But honestly - none of that is new.

Then there's you. Yeah, but you already know that. What you might not know is that something there made the difference. It wasn't that it made life perfect, or stellar, or that we felt less like what we were before we knew. It wasn't that we remade life or overexerted ourselves or made the world come face to face with its worst fears about life. It wasn't that we said all there could be said or did all there was to do. It wasnt't that it was the best of times or the worst of times or the worst storm at just the right time. You have to know - it wasn't that.

You changed me. I'm not sure I'll ever know how you did it. But you changed me. From the frightened child balled up like clay before what felt like a hesitant potter into the young woman wearing floral skirts in the middle of town centre market, picking fruits fresh to eat. From the blurry-eyed babe to the world-wise traveler. From moral goddess to cunning fox -- to this.

You know you made the difference, when difference was all that was needed? You gave the push when the climb down looked impossible. You held out your hand when the climb up seemed too steep. You handed out wings to cross the chasms keeping life away. You made it known that it wasn't how we said what we meant or who we thought we were that made all the difference. But that it was all in how we lived.

You did that. Tamed the wild disease quickly making me a leper, posted signs to show the way back to the healing waters, and made notes for the times when we'd all be lost.

I bet you'll never know what it meant. Just because words cannot express; hope cannot define; even faith cannot show all the changes, alterations, reformations you have caused. But in the end, know that you are to blame - but in the very best of ways.

All I ask now is that, whatever the cost - despite the fear, you don't give up on me here.

-RK