8 Comments

oh sophie, i really hope that this difficult season of your life passes soon, so that you can enjoy seasons of joy, or ease, or contentment. i wish i could give you a plank. if we were neighbors instead of internet acquaintances, i would bring you vegan chocolate cake, and wash your dishes.

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Just a very moving and heartfelt essay. You have begun my day with more hope in my heart. Thank you! (and kudos to the man who stops for 5 min each day at your corner. I hope you like the fact that i am sending good vibes to him too). (PS - we had a corner piece of property. You are so right about the extra lawn and what people do to it! The one good thing was no neighbors out the side window. That was nice!)

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dear sophie,

i love this as always and i love you as always and i thank you for this as always.

thank you for writing this and sharing it even as you are GOING THROUGH IT.

this is a very funny set of clauses:

"Luke thought he could do it himself. I thought this was foolish, but I let Luke do foolish things around our house all the time. It’s free."

thank you and good work!

finally, if i can ever offer you a plank in any way, i am here for it. in fact, my last name anagrams to "a plank." in fact, you only have to move the first letter to the end and there you have it.

love,

myq (a plank) kaplan

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You actually do offer a plank quite often. I find little planks in my text message box from you a lot. You seem like exactly the person the second-person directive was intended for in this letter. So thank you. That anagram truth is wild.

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happy plank-iversary!

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I love anyone who pulls weeds. I personally am addicted to it, and have been known to pull a few not in my yard. Loved this story.

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I viscerally agree that

"When you are drowning, the difference between a plank and not a plank is enormous. It is *infinitely bigger* than the difference between a plank and a boat"

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This is so pure and I love it. Here’s to hoping things getting better soon as a fellow plank-needed but hopefully also occasional plank-provider

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