Dear T,
I appreciate the happy birthday. Not gonna lie that I intentionally mentioned my birthday again at the end to see if you'd take the bait. I feel like you didn't say it in previous years, no matter how often I mentioned it. So it was nice. And you remembered what age I'm going to be (though maybe you're doing like I do with people and think of them in relation to my own age).

Also, it meant a lot what you said regarding trauma and not comparing what I experienced as being less compared to other people's. The thing you said about comparable distress now, no matter what happened in the past, to consider that--it really struck me. And the way you said you were sick of me doing that--I know some people could take that the wrong way, but I know it was you showing care and validation. So, thanks.

And now I understand the hope thing, why you didn't want me to feel too much hope about the schools. Again, that feels like care.

Love you,
LT