Dear person who broke into our storage unit,
My main question is why? The motley of items you took can’t be sold for more than $100, maybe $150 if you’re lucky. Had you been planning this? Or was it an impulse decision?
The broken latch on the door, upending of items, and lack of covering your tracks would suggest the latter. You also seemed to forget that a key to the building is required to access the storage unit— so we know that, at the very least, you’re probably a tenant here.
In case you forgot, here are the items you took from us:
- A miniature drink fridge without the power cord
- Two tennis rackets (but not the tennis balls)
- A soccer bag, which you so kindly emptied out
- My ball pump, which you did not remove from the side pocket of the bag
Most of these items are replaceable. They did not get used much, although I will miss having them. However, one of those tennis rackets— the black and orange one which feels delightfully light in your hand— was very special to me.
You see, that tennis racket was the last thing I have that I know was given to me by my biological father. Yes, the man was never a dad, and yes, I often think I would be better off if he had died. But he is a part of my story that I don’t want to erase. And you have stolen from me one of my last pieces of him.
You can see how that might be upsetting.
It’s moments like these that remind me of how very little we know about the world around us. To you, that was just a tennis racket, probably something you thought you could sell easily. For me, that was a piece of family history, an emotional totem whose loss I will grieve.
Each of us carries around so many emotions, perceptions, and reactions. So many stories are housed within our bodies and our lives. You will be a small part of my story, just like I am now a small part of yours, even if neither of us knows who the other is.
I hope that, if you did need money, you were able to get it. I hope my loss, and your risk, were not in vain. Above all, I hope that one day you will find a world where you won’t need to steal soccer bags and tennis rackets to find safety, comfort, and love.
I remain curious, hurt, and amused at this brief cross in our lives. I wonder how many times our paths may brush against each other.
Warmly,
Ashton Rose
Ashton Rose 