Dear Nathan,
Sometimes I feel like you are the one without a voice in our relationship. You long ago ditched your social media, and even such a little thing makes me feel like I talk all the time in places you never visit. When we are with strangers I am the extrovert, making conversation and meeting new people while you smile and nod and speak when you can, mostly choosing to listen. Getting together with my family is a non-stop train of words swirling around you as you contentedly sit in the midst of the whirlwind.

Yet in your quietness you speak louder than I ever could. The thing I most appreciate about you from this past year is how good of a listener you are. You truly stop everything and listen - whether it's to me or a homeless man near Walmart or a wedding vendor, you tune out the surroundings and hear every word they say. You are concerned with one thing - the person behind the words - and it is truly obvious in every interaction.

In your quietness, you have taught me so much. From you I have learned...