For 学源, My Friend

You are SO gonna hate me for doing this. But I'm gonna do it anyway..

***
It’s been, what, almost 4 years. In this time, I’ve learnt a lot from you, a lot about you, and even more about myself.

You know what’s so special about you?

Many would say it’s your energy, your humility, your creativity, your passion.

For me -

What's special about you is.. how real, and how human, you are. The little things, the bigger things, the everything. But I'm not sure that a string of words could fully articulate the complexities and simplicities that are, simultaneously, you. (That I want to say, anyway.) Being greater than the sum of the parts is probably a cliché, but perhaps, at least in this case, it applies for a reason.

(Of course, I know how much you love hearing all this; besides, I've flattered you enough already.)

So, today, I write this post for you. If not as a declaration of my undying love for you (I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist. :P), then at least for some record of what I’m feeling at this moment, before I lose it to dementia or Alzheimer’s.

Thank you for the laughter, the tears, learning lessons, sharing fears. Thank you for your passion for life. (It’s infectious.) For your art. For your honesty. For not minding my damage, and for sharing yours. For caring. For how much we’ve both grown. Thank you for your friendship.

Most of all, thank you - for you.

***
I never showed you this, but here, the final words of my NQO report which was presented to the conference floor at NLCAC last year.

..and Xue Yuan, for first igniting this spark, teaching me more than I’ve ever learnt from school, believing in me when I didn’t, and for continuing to inspire me everyday.

Only because it says what I feel now, once more, and I’m too damn lazy to type it all out again.