Dear Matt

      I stepped off the elevator and made a sharp right, about to exit the building and head to work. One hundred feet in front of me there was the blurred vision of a man, about 5 foot with a very round face. In the distance, the face looked so familiar, but my mind could not wrap itself around who this “stranger” was. As I tiptoed myself closer, I was able to make out the light brown hair on the sides of his head and the little goatee. “Matt”, I thought to myself, “that isn’t Matt, for this man looks a bit harrier”. I took another ten steps forward as my jaw dropped to the floor. “Oh my God, I don’t know what to say, oh my God”, I shouted as I embraced him arms stretched wide. There was nothing to say; Matt was here, standing right in front of me.

            As the echoes of my shouting made its way through the hall, doors opened and people peaked to see what had just happened. Is she upset? Is everyone okay? Matt, although not working at the time, went into action and quickly moved me to a quieter, less chaotic room. “It’s okay, I’m just stopping through on my way to see my father”, he said. He was quick to assure me that everything was okay and he knew just what to do: distract me, talk to me. Due to the shock of this unfolding situation, there is so much that I feel that I didn’t get to say. When you don’t see or talk to someone who means so much to you, there is a lot to catch up on.

Dear Matt,

       This is a sweet note to you of all the cool stuff that I wish I had told you in that moment I had with you:

·      I’m not only graduating, but I’m graduating with my Bachelor’s degree

·      My brother is doing phenomenal and my mother is healthier than she has been since I was in high school.
·      Eileen graduated in 2016 and is graduating from Salisbury University with her Master’s in May
·      Cathy is the new you. She has your directness, but Amie has your sense of humor. I never imagined being able to find someone who could fill your shoes, but the two of them together do a pretty good job. It’s not that your not awesome, its that I want you to know that I am well cared for and I continue to have the great supports that you gave me while you lived hear. I want you to be able to have a sense of peace knowing I am in good hands.
·      Oh, did I mention that everyone has to come into work at 8 am now? No more sleeping in until 10am
·      As I headed off to work, I forgot to let you know that I got a job with student activities shortly after you left. Sara hooked me up after not getting the Ambassador position as you had suggested.
·      Now I have a table in my common area just for my puzzles. P.S. I’ll never forget when you liked to come up and flip my pieces over, just to annoy me.
·      Benjamin Plum Farm turned into the Acres Project and now we have a house!!! I might even live there.
·      Lastly, I miss you and as Eileen taught me, it’s not goodbye, it’s see you later!