Okay, Sorilbran -
The truth: I’m not good good. Not yet. This whole exchange has been equal parts cathartic and disorienting. Like, I feel a little better knowing we didn’t completely abandon the parts of ourselves that mattered most. But man, I wasn’t ready for all the detours, all the sacrifice, all the forgetting.
I expected some kind of light at the end of the tunnel—some massive achievement or moment of vindication that made it all worth it. And instead, I got this quiet kind of triumph. It’s not the shiny, stage-lit version I imagined, but it’s solid. And that’s something.
I think what I’m really holding onto is the way you talk about mastery. That feels like a truth I didn’t even realize was there. We’ve always been builders, haven’t we? Even when it didn’t feel like it. I see now that we didn’t just survive—we transformed. We took whatever life threw at us, and we built something worthwhile out of it.
But there’s this lingering ache, too. You buried so much to get here—Detroit, the music, the friendships. I think about my best friends - these guys are my family right now. We've spent years dreaming together. I cannot imagine what I would even look like without them. It hurts to know how much of that got lost. But I see it wasn't about walking away; it was about surviving. And maybe you had to let go of who we were to become who we are.
I’m still processing all of this, but I’m proud of you. I mean that. You made hard decisions and kept going when everything in you probably wanted to stop. You built a life for the girls, for us, for everyone who needed you. And even though it wasn’t the plan, you found your way back to music—and to yourself. That’s a kind of victory won from a fight I still can't imagine ever taking on.
Thank you. You didn't sacrifice me. Not completely. Even though it seemed like you tried. Thanks for circling back to grab me when you did. You refused to let the fire die even when it was just embers. That’s everything.
Love,
Rib
Dear Rib,
It's been my genuine honor.
I want to leave you with this - Marvel is about to make Superman look like it happened on a View-Master reel. You are going to spend the next 15 years in cinematic bliss.
Keep living, girl. It gets greater later. - Sorilbran "Rib" Stone
Comments