It’s pretty hard to have this make sense in a letter so hopefully it won’t have to and I’m going to be there, well enough and with enough energy to have this conversation with you in person.  If I’m not though know this: The group of people that Jenny had drawn you into are extraordianary.  I know you’ve felt at times that we have questioned what you are doing.  The funny thing is, that’s probably the thing that’s most incredible about them.  They’ll challenge you and they’ll question you  but when it comes down to it they’ll support you.  They’ll stand by you and they’ll do everything in their power to make sure you’re happy. They’ll let you be yourself no matter who that is.  Don’t push them away.  Give them a chance to understand and the rewards will far outweigh the effort you have to put in.

Take care of yourself Max.  Be true to yourself and be happy.

Love

Dana

Max folded the letter and gently place it back in the envelope sensing that it contained answers he’d been struggling to find for a long time.

“Good picnic Shane. I’m impressed”

“I aim to please and you know I don’t cook but I’m an excellent take-out connoisseur.  So, how was your jog?  Did you do much thinking?”

“Uh huh” mumbled Alice as she chewed on the end of the chopstick that had come with the Chinese food they’d been eating for the last thirty minutes while making idle small talk.  “It’s so hard you know.  That letter was so amazing.  It’s such an amazing gift after all this time to actually have this communication with Dana.  Obviously it’s something I thought I would never have again but at the same time it’s really really scary.  I want to allow myself to experience it completely, to hear all the things she wants to say, but it’s like I’ve been running along on the side of this cliff the whole time since she died and there have been days when I’ve slipped over and been clinging to the edge.  I didn’t have enough strength to pull myself back up, I needed you guys to help me.   Now, there’s this box, this fucking incredibly wonderful box and I’m worried it has the power to knock me over the edge so hard and so quick that I can’t be caught.”