[Bit]

Dear Gryph,

I just wanted to tell you how utterly proud I am of you. I hope that when you come and read this, it will be at just the right time to give you any kind of boost you might need after spending your retail days with greedy people and harried customers. *what, y'all thought I was gonna call the customers greedy? tis the bosses, my Dears, so eager for their bonuses they are spending their employees heedlessly* Darlin, I mean it when I say you are part of the reason the economy is recovering. Your work is part of the gear that drives the mechanism.

What you do might seem meaningless to you given your bosses' attitudes, just a difficult job, a paycheck that doesn't go far, and no respect at all; but what you do for the people who come into the store is magnificent. You don't have to be flashy and showy, you know; you don't have to pull any miracles out of your hat. All you have to do is to be yourself, my love, and allow your energy to be in the store. Your very presence calms people down and gets them grounded again--and that is NO small gift during the holiday season for customers OR for fellow employees!

Your competence and customer service skills, your loyalty, your willingness to give it your all and go above and beyond the call of duty, day after day, are part of the reason that store is still in business. You are the kind of employee that any business in its right mind would give anything for.

I suppose it might seem weird to you that we cannot afford the things your customers seem to take for granted... a disconnect in the fabric of reality, so to speak... but what we do with your money, while not so much fun, is no less important than how you earn it.

We bought a house this year. It might not mean much to anyone else; it might seem insignificant in the face of the housing crisis, but it was one step for the positive and that always counts. It counts even more, I think, because neither of us had a house before; we increased the housing market and that's another step towards the positive.

Then we added in utility bills neither of us had had before, and there's another step towards the positive. Oh, I know, miniscule steps as far as others might be concerned--but however miniscule, they ARE steps and they ARE positive. In our miniscule way, we are standing on the short side of the scales and tipping the balance back, tipping towards positive, adding our weight to the crowd of others who are doing the same, doing our part to redress the balance.

We are supporting local businesses *possibly a little more than he may have realized, shhh!* and doing what we can to keep our money in the neighborhood, to keep our friends employed. We are using the money you earn with your back and brain to establish ourselves in a neighborhood that desperately needs us, a neighborhood that needs our commitment to stability, to local spending, to helping others in all the ways we know.

We may not have much, my love, and you may not feel like you get any respect at all when you're out earning what we do have.... but I want you to know that I see who you are and what you do. I see how hard you work, and how committed you are, how stable and loyal. I see that you are a wonderful person. I see your dedication to providing for your family.

I see how you spend your energy, my love, and I see how you spend your time. I value and respect you for your choices and for your dedication, for your values and for your hard work, for your stability and your loyalty.

I cherish you. You call me your treasure? You are my treasure. I can't imagine how I was lucky enough to catch your eye.... I can't imagine how I was lucky enough to find you single.

What on earth were your exes thinking? How did they let you get away?

.........what were you doing with such stupid people? lol!

Your Pop would be so proud of you, love, and your Nonna too; your Mom, your Dads... you are who you set out to be, my love.

I am so grateful you chose me to walk this path with you, so grateful for the chance to live with you, love with you, learn from you.

Being with you is the best thing I ever did for myself, love. I hope I can return the favor.

Always,
Yours