Spring 2019 Melbourne
The year before had nearly broken me.
I never imagined I would find myself in such a dark place.
My thoughts moved in circles.
The future looked dim and distant.
But something in me refused to stay there.
I decided I would rebuild my life.
Slowly, it came back.
Laughter returned.
Friends returned.
Ordinary days started feeling meaningful again.
And then you appeared.
Natural.
As if life had decided to introduce us at the right moment.
From the beginning there was something rare about you.
You moved through the world with care for people, sometimes more than for yourself.
You honoured your parents.
You chased your dreams with patience and determination.
I admired that deeply.
Back then I told you something that still feels true today.
That meeting you felt like discovering a new melody.
One that was easy to follow.
Easy to sing along to.
Perfectly in tune with the life I was rebuilding.
I didn’t know how much that melody would mean to me.
Or how long it would play.
But I know this now.
Some songs change the course of your life even if they don’t last forever.
You were one of those songs.
And I will always be grateful that I heard it.