Jim,
I just received an error after replying to your essay so hopefully this isn’t a duplicate.
I appreciate the value you place on irrepressible optimism; in almost every paragraph you contrasted your struggles and difficulties with what you gained because of them. You seem to always look on the brighter side of things, but in a practical and realistic way. Thank you for inspiring me to continue my own optimism and find the good in situations that, on paper, suck. I enjoyed reading about how valuable you found all of your conversations. I hope your project has continued to improve and I look forward to hearing more soon.