“I know there are people who say all these things don’t happen. I know these will all be stories someday. But right now, we are alive. And in this moment, I swear we are infinite.”

Charlie never stood out. Until he found friends that let him in.

I know these will all be stories someday. And our pictures will become old photographs. We’ll all become somebody’s mom or dad. But right now these moments are not stories. This is happening, I am here and I am looking at her. And she is so beautiful.

In the silence, I remembered this one time I never told anybody about. The time we were walking. Just the three of us. And I was in the middle. I don’t remember where we were walking to or where we were walking from. I don’t even remember the season. I just remember walking between them and feeling for the first time that I belonged somewhere.

I don’t know if I’ll have any time to write any letters because I may be too busy trying to participate. So if this does end up being the last letter, I want you to know that I was in a bad place before I started high school, and you helped me. Even if you didn’t know what I was talking about, or know someone who’s gone through it. You made me not feel alone. Because I know there are people who say all these things don’t happen and there are people who forget what it’s like to be sixteen when they turn seventeen. I know these will all be stories some day and our pictures will become old photographs. We all become somebody’s mom or dad. But right now, these moments are not stories. This is happening. I am here. I am looking at her. And she is so beautiful. I can see it. This one moment when you know you’re not a sad story. You are alive. And you stand up and you see the lights on the building and everything that makes you wonder, and you’re listening to that song, on that drive, with the people you love the most in this world. And in this moment, I swear, we are infinite.

And I guess I realized at that moment that I really did love her. Because there was nothing to gain, and that didn’t matter.

“And I thought that all those little kids are going to grow up someday. And all of those little kids are going to do the things that we do. And they will all kiss someone someday. But for now, sledding is enough. I think it would be great if sledding were always enough, but it isn’t..”

“Enjoy it. Because it’s happening.”