You The Reader

   -You, The Reader- . . .

You, the reader holds more magic than anyone else in the world. You, the reader, are the answer to every all-consuming question that has ever been asked, or even those questions that lurk far back in the recesses of minds that we haven't fully realized yet. You, the reader, are the most beautiful person I have ever had the pleasure of allowing to read my writing. For this, I love you.

You, the reader is my best friend in the entire universe, the best person that I have ever encountered. I can sense how focused you are on each word, on each tenderly chosen character. I feel as if I could share anything with you without fear of judgement. You impress me with this quality that is very rarely found. For this, I love you.

Perhaps I could confess to you my loneliness or how large the hole in my heart is that aches for you to fill it. I would love for you to linger here until I could fully tell you how wonderful and important you are. You, as my reader, validate everything I say here. You make me feel more and more worthy the longer you stay here, reading my words, these words that are two dimensional until you grace them with your eyes and suddenly, they grow wings and begin to soar! It couldn't happen without you and it won?t happen if you leave. Don't leave, please, dear reader.

Do you detect what an impact you have on people's lives? Are you aware or are you so blissfully in love with life that you gloss over how wonderful as you are? Everybody else can see it, you know. They see how you shimmer and shine, how you radiate love and brilliant energy every time you enter the room and they love you for it.

And standing up here where I am-before all of you, you have changed from the reader to the listener. Standing up here, perhaps I have a podium, perhaps I don't. Maybe I am shaking or maybe I am strangely confident. I could be staring hard at the paper or looking right into your eyes. You, the listener are suddenly the most important thing in the room, in my life. I adore you for the fact that you are standing now, that you are on your feet, vocalizing and clapping for now-public but once private words that I never expected to share with anyone. But for a moment, I hated you and I thought you had to hear these words and I put my body on this stage and forced my voice to raise and suddenly, I was letting everything spill out and I got a few laughs and more than a few tears and now I don't hate you anymore. For that I love you.

• (somehow, I thought of Summer when I wrote this)

Very nice... the sort of thing that's best response is a private, warm smile.