My Friend,

I always thought time was on our side. That the things I didn’t say today could wait for tomorrow. I’m a man – I was raised to believe that silence is a sign of strength, that spoken words can make you weak. But now, as I sit here knowing my time is running out, I realize how wrong I was.

The doctors told me I don’t have much time left. When you hear something like that, everything stops. It’s as if someone turned off the lights in your mind. I’m not afraid – life has already taught me not to be. But the sorrow, the weight of it, is something else. I think about all the things I left unsaid.

The first thing that came to mind was my son. You know, my son – he’s his own person. And I never truly understood him. He was different from what I imagined, different from how I thought happiness should look. And I was too stubborn to accept that. I was rigid, conservative. I wanted to raise him the way I was raised, but his world was not my world.

And then we drifted apart. There was no argument, no dramatic fallout – just growing distance. He doesn’t hear from me anymore, and I don’t hear from him. For years, there’s been this vast silence between us. And now I sit here wondering if it’s already too late.

But you know what? I won’t give up. I wrote him a letter. It wasn’t easy, but I told him I love him, that I’ve always been proud of him – even if I never said it out loud. And I told him I’m sorry. Sorry for not being brave enough to accept him as he is.

I don’t know if he’ll ever read it. But just writing it made my heart feel lighter.

And now, I turn to you, my Friend.

Thank you for the years. For the soccer games, the barbecue nights, the beers we shared. For the times we laughed until we cried, and the times we just sat quietly next to each other. Those moments are what truly mattered.

And of course, Margaret. The little annoying habits, the stern look she gave us when things didn’t go her way. But her heart... it was always in the right place. She’s the one who never let you down, even when you were close to giving up.

Do you remember when Margaret yelled at us for leaving the kitchen in a mess? The harpy. But let’s admit it, we’re lucky to have her. Don’t hold it against her – she’s always been by your side, understanding things no one else could.

My Friend, don’t wait. Don’t put it off. Say it now. Don’t let the silence steal what you can still change.

Thank you for being a true friend.

A man who, if given the chance, would do it all differently.