I met Katka at the beginning of fall, two years ago.

Let’s fast forward to when this photo was taken, a year later. We were housemates by then, had spent a considerable amount of time talking about books, people, love, and life. I remember we were smoking at the backyard one summer night, when we talked about books and quotes. At one point, she started talking about her love of Haruki Murakami, and went on reciting this quite long quote from Kafka on the Shore, which would later become one of my favorites, “Your heart is like a great river after a long spell of rain, spilling over its banks. All signposts that once stood on the ground are gone, inundated and carried away by that rush of water. And still the rain beats down on the surface of the river. Every time you see a flood like that on the news you tell yourself: That’s it. That’s my heart.”

I was awestruck. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that at that time, I was heartbroken, but I was also surprised she could recite such beautiful long lines with so much emotion. I’d known before that her choice of books was great, but that moment, it felt like I found my kindred spirits.

We have so many things in common, and I guess that’s one of the reasons we get on so well. But more than that, I admire her. She’s one of the kindest people I’ve ever met, with the most generous spirit. She’s someone who always tries to see the best in people. Her thoughts are incredibly fascinating, and I’ve had the privilege to see a glimpse of those through many conversations, and also, her writing. And most of all, she reminds me to be a little kinder everyday, and that’s the best thing anyone could do to me.

Truly one of the most beautiful people I’ve ever met, inside and out.

Happy birthday, Katka! 🙂