Day 9: Someone You Wish You Could Meet

Dear Sarah,

I'm not particularly sure how to begin this letter, or even where I'm going with it, so I guess I'll start with "hi". I'm quite a big fan of yours, Ms. Allen. I recommend your books to everyone I know, and anytime you have a new one coming out I make sure to pre-order it so I can read it asap.

You see Sarah (may I call you Sarah? I feel like I already know you so well), something about your stories has taken root within me. I feel like your characters are more than just fictional beings, but that they are truly friends of mine. When I read "Garden Spells" I can picture myself cooking with Claire Waverley, or lying in the grass under the apple tree with Bay. I feel like Willa and I would get along fantastically well, and I would've loved to help her solve the mystery in her life. Mostly, I want to spend a day with Josie Mancini, though. I want to sit in her closet with her and munch on candy and read travel magazines. Because, in a lot of ways, when you wrote Josie you were writing me.

I love the way you incorporate "everyday magic" into your stories and characters. It has truly made me stop and look at people in a different light. It has also made me curious about what my own magic would be. Like Josie, I believe that red is a magical color for me. Like Evenlyn, I feel that we need to act on the promptings and compulsions to help others. Like Claire, I think that there is something so telling about food.

And now, on a more personal note, I want to tell you how sorry I am that you have been faced with the trial and tragedy of cancer. Anytime I see somebody as vibrant as yourself struck by this particular ailment, I just cry inside (and a little outside, too). From everything I have seen and learned about you, you are a fighter. You will do things on your own terms, and you will win. And so, it is that particular bit of magic that gives me hope. It gives me hope that you will live a long and full life and continue sharing your magic with the rest of us humble humans.

So, basically what I'm trying to say is this: Thank you, Sarah. Thank you for the magic, the laughter, the tears, the joy, and the friends. Thank you for the inspiration, the stories, and for being who you are.

Sincerely,
Me