Mani Ghassemi

Dear Mani:

You've been on my mind...

I've known you all your life.

I was at the hospital the day you were born. I was with you when you said your first word – and you scared both me and your mom half to death because you were just a few months old and not expected to talk yet for another year or so. I was there when you learned to crawl... and then walk. I heard you speak your first full sentence, which was grammatically perfect. I was with you when you learned to play Pac-Man all by yourself on the computer. I went with you to your first art class and stayed there the whole time. I accompanied you the first time you attended daycare.

We fell out of touch after I left Iran, but I've checked up on you and followed you on social media all these years, and I'm so proud of you. The memory of our time together has always stayed with me. I remember our adventures, the words you made up, the nickname you gave me, and so many other little things.

Thank you for letting me be your young aunt. As you know, I don't have any siblings, so if it weren't for you, I would have never experienced being an aunt – or an older sister. I will always cherish those moments I spent with you. They were moments of pure joy.

I love you, I'm proud of you, and I'm grateful for you.

Always...

Noosha Ravaghi

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Steve Bivans

Dariush Eghbali