Moonlit Missives is my February series dedicated to writing love letters to individuals and communities deserving of recognition and respect. Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to express love, appreciation, and remind others of their visibility and significance. Through these heartfelt letters, I hope to uplift, honor, and celebrate those who often go unrecognized.
To the Friends Who Drift but Never Disappear
Back in college, I met a short, fiery Italian girl, born and bred in New Jersey. She was everything I was not—bold where I was reserved, instinctive where I overthought, brash where I was cautious. Somehow, it was a perfect match. We called ourselves twins, a nod to the 1988 movie starring Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger, where an unlikely pair formed an unstoppable force. That was us—two halves of a whole, bound not by blood but by something just as deep.
Time has a funny way of shifting things. Once inseparable, we now live on opposite sides of the country. The days of late-night talks, spontaneous road trips, and laughing until we cried have faded into memory, replaced by the demands of adulthood—careers, families, responsibilities. We barely talk. Weeks, sometimes months, pass without a word. But not once have I questioned the strength of our bond. Because real friendship, the kind that settles into your bones, doesn’t erode with distance or silence.
Sometimes, I catch myself missing the ease of those younger years. I wonder if I should reach out more, make a greater effort. Maybe I should. But I also know that she knows—that we both understand. The absence of daily texts or frequent calls doesn’t diminish the love. She is woven into the fabric of who I am, and nothing will ever change that.
There are plenty of people in my life to whom this same story applies. Once, we had endless time. Now, life has scattered us, pulling us into different directions, different cities, different routines. Some might say we’ve drifted. But I don’t see it that way. Instead, I think of us as stars in the same constellation—separate, yet eternally connected, lighting up each other’s skies in ways that distance cannot dim.
I hope these friends know—on the days when they feel alone, on the days when life feels unbearably heavy—that I am always here. That even in the silence, my love for them has never wavered. That if they called me tomorrow, I would answer, no matter the time or place. Because that’s what real friendship is. Not a measure of how often we talk, but of how deeply we remain in each other’s hearts.
So here’s to us—to the rare, unbreakable kind of friendship that asks for nothing yet gives everything. I may not say it enough, but I love you. I carry you with me always.
Xo,
Katie
The Forty Files 