Dear Jon,

Writing from Portland

        Jon,

          I have contemplated writing this letter for a few days; then realized that the only thing that I was waiting for was a chance to say it.

        I am thankful that you are my neighbor. I am thankful that I have had the chance to become a neighbor. I am thankful that I can knock on your door to say hello. I am just thankful.

   I have spent the last four years being mostly alone in my cancer... By choice even though I have shared my story with thousands. For some reaosn when I met you I felt connected to your warm wave weeks before we met. I have never questikoned my want to chat or even thought twice about walking over just to talk. You seem to always appear out of thin air when my days are bad.... I am sure you would never notice and if you did you would never say you had.
       
       The last year has been hard for me. I have moved forward with a relationship that I never thought I was going to have the opportunity to have. I have taken so many steps out of my comfort zone to get to where I am today. Yet, you have been a constant reminder that someone can support you and be with you when things aren't perfect. I look at your incredible wife and notice how grateful she is for ever day that you two get to spend together even though the future is grim. My future is grim too but, I have ruun away from so many solid people in my life not understanding how to share the pain of my cancer with another person.

     I want you to know that you have been a silent reminder that it can work. That love is worth the way more than going it alone is. Thank you for your inspiration along my journey. I cannot tell you how thankful I am.

                                                                                                                            Kayla.