My Dear Law School Soldier Pal
written by: Luisa Kay Reyes
My Dear Law School Soldier Pal:
You are married with a sweet little daughter now, so I prefer not to use your real name. But, if you ever see my name, you will know who you are. At least, I believe you will. And it is my hope that when and if you ever do see this, you will know that my appreciation of you has increased exponentially over time.
I was a bit proud when I was in law school. Proud in the sense that Elizabeth Bennet uses it to describe Mr. Darcy at first in Jane Austen’s masterpiece, “Pride and Prejudice.” And still filled to the brim with my fatherless daughter issues stemming from when my father left when I was little.
Talking to you back during our law school days was such a delight. It was such a treat for me to get to talk to someone who was concerned about what was happening to the Churches in the rural areas. So refreshing to talk to someone who was also dismayed at what Professor Stone was teaching. My goodness! He was so convinced he would bring me around to his way of thinking, but I’m happy to say that he failed in his mission. And knowing that you were also not swayed by his draconian harsh views was and is so encouraging to me.
I remember how you offered to take me to elegant dinners in fine restaurants. How you would pay since you “believed” in that. Simply recollecting your kind offer brings a content smile to my face. Yes, I was very nonchalant about it all at the time and I brushed you off, cruelly. I fully recognize that. But, now that the decades have passed, I think of you and that moment and how truly kind you were.
Like a lot of women in the workforce, I have had bosses approach me in manners that I would prefer to never have experienced. I could enumerate them all, but suffice it to say that there have been a couple of situations in which I had to pray for a miracle to save me from a rather difficult matter. And, thankfully, The Good Lord has come through for me every time. I have had acquaintances who were preachers even approach me in ways when the weather turned cool that were rather astonishing to me. But, I don’t feel the desire to dwell on those things. Learning that pastors are still men explains it all adequately.
Being naturally distrustful of men, the one guy I can think of in my life who was very truly decent is you. I knew it at the time, but didn’t know how to value it. Yet, I see it constantly in how you’ve lived your life since those law school days. You are very devoted to your family, very involved in promoting charities, concerned about the rivers and the environment, so devoted to your wife and daughter, and very dutiful in your employment. I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t hurt when I see you embodying all of the above. But, mostly, what I have longed for is the chance to explain to you why I was so cruel back when we were in law school. It may be a cliché sounding line, but it really had nothing to do with you. It was solely due to my hang-ups that lingered at the forefront from my childhood.
You see, I promised myself that when I was little I would never get married. I was determined to protect myself from the cruelties I witnessed when I was little and wanted nothing to do with romance or sentiment whatsoever. I knew what was happening at the time we were in law school, but I simply could not talk about it. I can’t explain why I was that way. But, it was a burden I carried deeply inside of me that was impossible for me to explain to you. And, oh, how I wish now that I had. Even if nothing ever came of it, just to know that I was fully honest with you is something I would cherish. Which is why I’m being honest with you now. For if I could go back in time I would change everything about what I said when I was so callous towards you.
While such time-traveling capabilities may one day be available, at present we are limited by the here and now. Which is frustrating. But, please allow me to say that I am truly sorry. That, even though it is from afar, it is encouraging for me to see what a noble person you are. For such a nobility of character is a rare gem in such a competitive world. And I hope to emulate it in my own life, inspired by you.
NOTE:
Based on the Prompt – The Last Letter
- My Dear Law School Soldier Pal - June 25, 2025
- But, The Light - December 25, 2024
- Let There Be Light - December 24, 2023
