Dear Justin Barnes,

Please understand the intent of this letter, as it is not to come off egotistic. However, my best internal desire is to thank you for who you are. Thank you for changing your life around and giving love a chance. Thank you for taking the risks you deemed too risky to take. Thank you for having that hunger and drive to improve yourself and prove that you can benefit society. Thank you for your hard work and resilience in working with patients daily. Thank you for becoming a nurse and working in the intensive care unit, which would be a passion you enjoy. Thank you for trying to fix all the problems that you can. Thank you for trying to listen and be empathetic when you are not perfect at it. Thank you for being brave to trust and have children with the love of your life. Thank you for admitting your faults in prayer. Thank you for your failures, as you may learn from them. Thank you for realizing your faults and desiring to be better. Thank you for knowing how to say “sorry.” Thank you for sacrificing your mental and physical energies to provide for your family and assisting in pursuing opportunities for your family. Thank you for attempting to take time for your family, even if it is hard on some days. Thank you for staying late at work and being by that patient in the most challenging times of their lives.
Thank you for giving your mind, soul, and body to figure out your patient and family’s problems. Thank you for helping your coworkers and listening to their ideas. Thank you for taking the risks of buying a home in which the economy has been unable to optimize for a family. Thank you for caring for yourself and seeking care at the doctor when possible. Thank you for continuing to pursue your education despite the hardships it brings. Thank you for working full-time while being at school. Thank you for trying your best to help as much as possible around the house. Thank you for trying to keep your connections as strong as you can.
Thank you for having your peers and friends in this world. Thank you for attempting to be fair regarding arguments. Thank you for always being there for your loved ones during challenging times. Thank you for enduring all your trauma in your past and dedicating your life not to pass it on to your children. Thank you for loving your father and mother even if they were imperfect. Thank you for realizing that you are not perfect, nor will you be the best, but you desire to be a better version of yourself every day. Thank you for helping others in need, even if you do not know them outside of work or family. Thank you for voting, even if you believe the statistics won’t add much. Thank you for being spiritual and hopeful for a better future. Thank you for praying as much as you can in this world.
Most of all, thank you for not giving up or giving in to the dark urges of your past, which would have most likely led to a premature end to your potential and the changes you can bring.
Thank you for being you, Sincerely, yourself.