Gratitude Girl

Dear Richard: You've been on my mind... I'll start by stating that I feel funny writing about a fictional character who's named after a real author and, therefore, not entirely fictional, but I have no other way to refer to you...unless I call you Detective Beckett's better half, which you were. You will always be one of my favorite fictional characters. You went from a bad boy to a good man, and you let the world witness your transformation. I admit I still don't know if your love for your partner happened because of all the games she played or in spite of them; I want to believe you fell in love with the gorgeous detective despite her immature behavior. I've watched Castle many times, from start to finish, and it's my go-to show whenever I need a real distraction. Thank you, Nathan Fillion, for portraying Richard Castle so beautifully! Love... Gratitude Girl

Dear MacGyver: You've been on my mind... I know your first name is Angus, but I've always known you as MacGyver, so it didn't feel right to start this letter with "Dear Angus."  I watched your show as a young adult and felt amazed by how resourceful you were and how you kept your cool under pressure. Thank you for resolving your conflicts that way. You always managed to troubleshoot the problem with regular objects you found around you, effectively illustrating one of my favorite quotes: "Do what you can, with what you've got, where you are." Thank you, Richard Dean Anderson, for portraying Angus MacGyver so beautifully. Love... Gratitude Girl

Dear Jessica: You've been on my mind... I like you because you're intelligent, enjoy solving good mysteries, teach English, work part-time as a criminology professor, and write novels — correction: you are a best-selling author. I also like that you live in a small town by the ocean, even though the crime rate there seems to be high, and have a few good friends. Thank you, Angela Lansbury, for portraying Jessica Fletcher so beautifully! Watching Murder, She Wrote has gotten me through some tough times, especially recently, and I appreciate all who've had a hand in creating the show.  Love... Gratitude Girl

Dear Diana: You've been on my mind... I enjoyed watching you heroically protect the good guys and tackle any crisis that came their way. You were beautiful, intelligent, and fearless. I admired you and your qualities. I loved watching you change into Wonder Woman. The five-year-old in me, wanting to keep your secret identity safe, never talked about you because she didn't want to accidentally let something slip. Thank you for teaching me how to keep a secret. Decades later, I'm still known as a vault among my friends.  Thank you for being a heroine to all children, especially girls. Thank you for being my heroine! Thank you, Lynda Carter, for portraying Diana Prince and Wonder Woman so beautifully. Love... Gratitude Girl