Dear Friends

Before meeting most of you my life was in shambles and I played “catch up” on a regular basis, I never truly understood my purpose and I felt at times I was all alone in a world full of people that had it all together
Even as I got older I always felt out of place, I felt that I was disconnected for quite some time and a moment to establish myself was far and away
As time went on I started meeting people that made me see otherwise, I started connecting with people that had so many great things going on in their lives and yet they still took out the time to get to know me
I met people that admired my way of thinking; that congratulated me for every accomplishment, supported me on my journey of self discovery
As time went on my friends grew to become more than just friends, you all have become family, people that have opinions that I live to hear, I feel more connected to my life and I feel more strength within my joints
My life has been a path of many different directions but the main direction I’ve traveled was knowing who I loved and who I was as a person
My confidence at times would come off as arrogance, but if you looked closer you would see someone that was merely trying to protect their heart from being crushed, and many times that wall was not strong enough to defend me from those moments
I became jaded, torn, broken, unsure, desperate, lost, and hopeless
All of a sudden there was this moment where everything made sense, the people around me fueled my spirit to a level that cannot be explained and could not be achieved on my own
I feel like I belong, I have claimed my spot and I know that it belongs to me because the people that are around me allow me to shine knowing that the light is something shared, not something owned
Creating family from friendships is a very rewarding blessing and it’s the sort of feeling that cures all ailments, it creates a strength that you never knew you had and it makes you dance even when the world is falling apart around you
The music that soothes my ears is the sounds of laughter from those I have grown to know and love; it is your friendship that has made me more aware of my purpose in life and where I am meant to be
I’ve learned that family isn’t just people with the same last name, it isn’t the people that share the same bloodline, it is the people that choose to love you, accept you, and support you, it’s those people that share their lives with you, want your opinion, and are willing to give you theirs
Family isn’t always made up of the same race, color, or creed…Friends are the roots to your life, the reason why it is hard to see them at times is because roots grow behind the scenes but are your support in trying times
I love you all and there was no need to put names because if you are reading this; that should answer your question as to whom this is designed for!
Gregory James Upson-Watkins