Dear Ria,
How have you been?
It’s been a while since we last spoke. You’ve been busy with med school, and I’ve been caught up with life.
Ri, among the few genuine friendships I’ve had, you are one I hold close to my heart. There are moments when I look back and remember your kindness—things I may not have fully appreciated then, but deeply value now.
Thank you for your quiet, selfless acts of friendship.
I still remember our late-night heart-to-heart conversations—how we dreamed out loud. You, finishing med school. Me, publishing my books. Maybe even chasing my American dream.
And now, looking at where we are, I can’t help but feel proud of you—not just for what you’ve achieved, but for who you are still becoming.
We’re both chasing our dreams, just in different ways.
My younger self might have been jealous—you, already in med school, walking the path you’ve always wanted. But now, I know better. I could never compare journeys. You fought hard to be where you are. I may not know every detail of your sacrifices, but I know they were heavy, and that you carried them with strength.
Ri, even from a distance—from glimpses on my screen—I find myself quietly cheering you on. I can’t wait to see the doctor you’ll become.
Wherever life takes us, I’ll never forget that it was you who listened to my deepest secrets, who stayed with me during my most unstable moments, who helped me through the hardest parts of college, and who met me with empathy through it all.
You once promised you’d be the first to buy my first published book. That promise has stayed with me—it still fuels me to keep writing, to keep going.
Thank you for everything, Ri.
You’re almost there.
And I’m on my way, too.
I love you.
All my love,
Joy