i love you

A few days ago, I realized that I was in danger of rendering myself a hypocrite if I didn�t act fast.

As you may recall, I wrote a little something about Valentine�s Day a couple weeks ago. Near the end, I expressed my dream of a generous, loving society. . .and then did absolutely nothing to help make the dream a reality. So, I�ve decided that on this day, Monday, February 28, a day with no real significance for me, I am going to be emotional. I am going to publicly express my love for others, for no other reason than that the love exits.

Mom, Dad, I love you. You are wonderful parents. You may not have always given me what I wanted [i.e. a horse and/or sister], but you have always given me what I needed whether I knew it or not. I could not have grown up in a more enriching, stimulating, and healthy environment. Thank you.

Lane and Eliot, I love you. Growing up with you was not easy, but because of that I have built up great stores of �character,� which have enabled me to weather much worse things than childhood ostracism (I love you, Mr. Classen, 7th grade science teacher, for teaching me that word and for being tough, grumpy, rude, and educated) and the occasional bit of physical pain.

Mandy, I love you. Thank you for marrying Lane. I don�t know how he managed to get your attention in the first place, but thanks for keeping your eyes open.

Grandma and Grandpa Phillips, Grandma and Grandpa Hohnbaum, I love you. Thank you for always welcoming me as a child and young adult into your homes�warm, cozy, enriching safe havens full of history, mystery, information, and most importantly, peace.

Aunt Ruth, Uncle Earl, I love you. Like a third set of grandparents, you have enriched my life as well. Aunt Ruth, thank you for instilling in me a love of sewing and pride in being able to craft things with my hands. Uncle Earl, thank you for instilling in me a love of Holsteins and teaching me how to care for them, to be compassionate, and to be patient.

Aunts, Uncles, cousins, I love you. Some of you may not have ever heard me say more than a few words over the entire course of our acquaintance, but trust me, there was love in those words.

Ashley, Ellie, I love you. I�m always touched to hear from you. Hearing about your lives and families keeps my ties to the Beaver Crossing area strong and makes me feel grounded. Thank you.

Grant, John, I love you. There isn�t a day that goes by in which I don�t think about architecture and the pains we shared as undergraduate students. I really hope that you don�t feel as though your efforts were in vain, and I hope that you are leading healthier, happier lives than we were then. Even though I�ve never known such deprivation and don�t want to again, I do miss the times that we shared in studio.

Stump, Sarah, Pavel, Matt, Hermes, and the members of the �02-�03 Cornfed Ultimate Frisbee team, I love you. You made me seriously question why I had spent so much of my undergraduate career sitting in a rowboat. I may have nearly failed my final semester at UNL because of ultimate, but I don�t regret a thing.

Ben, Thomas, Chris, Rachel, Sarah, and my other foreign friends living in Japan, I love you. I�m always appreciative of the conversations we have�few and far between as they may be�and how helpful you have been. If you ever require any kind of baking or design services, let me know so that I can somehow repay the favors that you�ve done for me.

My students, I love you. Some days you make me feel as though I am slaving away at the most thankless job on the planet, but most days I am intrigued by your energy, sense of �reason�, and sense of self. Furthermore, every single day I am thankful for the things that you teach me as I try to teach you.

My coworkers, I love you. You have been extremely patient with me and my communication handicap.

Mina, Mr. Goto, Mrs. Goto, I love you. Mina, if you had not been around my first year here in Japan, I would have left after that first year. I apologize for all the work that I must have kept you from getting done at school by incessantly asking you questions and chit chatting. Please give my love to your parents. I appreciate their willingness to teach me about the Japanese culture.

Esaki Sensei, I love you. The fact that you care about me enough to yell at me in Japanese that even I can understand after I�ve been badly beaten in a judo match means a great deal to me. Teaching me judo must be like teaching a brick wall how to dance. I am grateful that you haven�t given up on me.

Judo club members, I love you. I appreciate that you continue to humor me by feigning fatigue after sparing with me. . .and, more importantly, for always telling me that whatever baked goods I�ve brought to practice are delicious even if they are last night�s failed attempt at mocha �clairs which at best resemble wrinkled little sausages.

Mr. and Mrs. Yokoyama, I love you. Thank you for forcing me to row a single; enduring hour after hour of the fear of plunging into the icy cold waters of the Kisogawa. Thank you for welcoming me so graciously into your rowing community. I admire your passion for rowing and internationalization and hope that someday I am able to find what I am most passionate about and lead a life similar to yours.