Dear Lieutenant Beauchamp, you asked a difficult question, to which there is no easy answer, but I feel compelled to reply. My name is Julia Moriston, and like you, I often wonder why. Why must we live through this abominable war? I do not know. But the naturalist in me finds comfort in the arms of Mother Nature. Nature always finds a way. I'm reminded of the raindrop– never too small or insignificant to make a difference, beautifully volatile, evaporating, falling as precipitation, joining the rivers until it becomes the ocean. There is a certain alchemy to it. We, too, are shaped and changed by our suffering until we are strong enough, like water, to carve our way through rock. I've known suffering and grief. When my parents died, I was determined to carry on doing what I knew would make them proud. I paused my studies to make my own small contribution to the war effort. So I know what it is to feel alone and to ask why. When all else fails… take a deep breath and remember England is still here. Do not give up, Lieutenant. And if you need to confide in someone, you may write back to me. And, perhaps boldly, I shall expect a reply.
