Christmas Gone Wrong (VegasPete) - Completed

Trust

16th December 2022

Dear Chainsaw,

Before I started writing this, I stared at the page for a good fifteen minutes, reread your letter, and stared at it for another five minutes.

The first time I read it, I felt upset that you had to go through all that but when I re-read it again, all I could think was just how strong you are.

I wish I could tell you in person how strongly I feel about your last letter. The things you went through, the things you overcame, the things you are still fighting so hard for. All of that. You are so strong. I feel like you don't give yourself enough credit. You underestimate yourself. You assume the worst in yourself.

I do not think that you were being greedy or selfish when you continued to play even with the hurt ankle. I think that was your dedication, sense of responsibility, willingness to sacrifice, and looking past your problem for the sake of the team—it was all this. Anything but greed and selfishness. I don't know what decisions would have been wrong or right, but I do know that, at that moment, you gave your best. You gave your all. You put the team above you. You became the Captain that your team needed.

Even when you were so badly hurt, all you could think about was the team and what it deserved. I think that says a lot, Chainsaw. I don't think greedy or selfish people do that.

And I am genuinely so happy to know that your doctor gave positive feedback. I don't know if my words will hold any value for you but I want you to know that I am so proud of you. You didn't give up, even when it felt like the easiest thing to do. You fought back. Hard. And that is so amazing, Chainsaw. I think you should be proud of yourself too.

When I read the first half of the letter, I did think of apologizing for bringing up that question but then I saw what you wrote about it and honestly, it made me chuckle. It felt weird knowing that you already knew what I would think. But not in a bad way though. It was more like 'Woah, did he figure out how my brain works?'

It only feels like yesterday when it was the 2nd and I got your first letter. Today, it's the 16th already. And now apparently, I know you better than your neighbour now. Who would've thought? Certainly not me (but I am glad it turned out this way).

Thank you for sharing this, Chainsaw. It's good to see you get comfortable with this whole process.

Also...if I could add one thing then it'll be that you don't have to be right all the time. You can't be. No one can be. We are humans and humans tend to make mistakes. But what you can do is accept those mistakes and learn from them as you go. You said your circle got smaller and that, you and your friends have gotten distant now. You know the reasons and I think it is nothing that cannot be fixed.

Friendships are such an important part of life. Especially at this stage. And good friendships are hard to find. So if you think you guys had something good then I hope you could rebuild the bridges because I believe that people can change and deserve a second chance.

I am sure they are proud of you. Your parents must be great at their jobs considering how greatly they inspired you. That's amazing.

I don't know about that but I really want to believe your words. Thank you for saying that. And yes, they were great at everything they did. They will always be my greatest inspiration.

I'm majoring in Mechanical Engineering (and minoring in economics).

That's a lot of Math. In both of those subjects. That's very smart of you.