Thank you for your letter. I have been worried about you and your family since I last heard from you and I appreciate that you took the time to write to me, despite any changes in the situation.

I pray that he shall recover with as little change to his life as possible, but most importantly that he does wake. I am sure that even though he may face many changes to his life when he does you will be able to lead him through such difficulties and challenges.

I wish there was something more that I could do for you and your family. If there is you mustn't hesitate to let me know. I shall endeavor to lighten your mind with two things, first, attached you shall find a watercolor that I did of the courtyard this week. The first of the trees have begun to change colors - something that I always love to see. Second, and please do not mistake this for undo levity, but I thought that perhaps I would share some stories of my days with you in hopes that it might distract you and help you find a sense of grounding when the world seems to be twisting so rapidly for you.

I had mentioned the first year who is prone to dramatics in one of my letters earlier this month, but I do not believe I shared the details of how I came to meet him. It was the second day of school and the lad was bemoaning how hungry he was, waving his arms around and acting as if he were in a production at the theatre. He tripped as he loped backward down the stairs - as you recall the stairs are rather treacherous when one is walking down them the right way, let alone backwards or acting wildly, but I digress. He landed on his knee. As I was directly behind the group of first years I escorted him to the Hospital Wing. It turns out that he told the nurse that he had been attempting to save a frog (or toad, as I was not there for this conversation I am left to hearsay which is rather divided on this matter) from committing a leap of faith into the air and falling from the staircases to his death. It turns out he merely bruised his knee, but he inquired if he would need to have it amputated. Given how much limping he did on our way up to the tower I would not have been surprised if that had been the case. He was walking right as rain by that evening, however, no limbs lost and from my vantage point at supper I could see that the misadventure had done little to dampen his enthusiastic persona.

Perhaps you might be so kind as to share a story, even a simple observation of something that has made you smile in previous days? I should think that it should help ease the burden from your heart. That burden shall never go away, of that I am very much aware, but if simply observing the world helps you find which way is down than I even though I am limited to my help through the power of quill and parchment, I should feel as if perhaps in some small way I helped you right yourself.