w.j.b.  my father.  our likeness is so much more than skin deep.

my free spirit, my sense of direction, my proclivity for changing jobs — they are all in your image.

thank you for never underestimating the power of a good laugh and for always believing in me.

i am proud to call you my dad.

b.j.b.  my mother.

and my constant cheerleader, compass, and confidant.

thank you for giving me life and for always loving me without boundaries.

all that i am is because of you, today and always.

happy birthday, mom.

b.a.(b.)s. my sister.

you are my twin, plucked from the same branch; born six years later.

we are irrevocably linked by blood, but held together by a bond so strong, it escapes naming or understanding.

my personal counterbalance, directing me to my true north — to my home, to my family.

thank you for always knowing the words before i speak them.

d.j.b.  my friend.  and protector.

i’ve never had a friend who was so fiercely loyal and yet so softly compassionate — your duplicity is a gift.

thank you for late night talks and bathroom confrontations and for making every moment count.

i always feel safe by your side.

a.j.b.  my friend.  i’ve only known you a year, but it feels more like a lifetime –

distilled into our near-daily exchanges of messages and calls and letters and cards.

and music, always music.

thank you for being a friend without limits or judgments.

we are separated by distance, but you are closer than you know.