With gratitude:

First and foremost, Mana Yazdanpanah, who I truly believe has guided me from her heavenly station. She is in every way my spiritual sister. May we meet again on that glorious day when my soul is loosed from its cage.

To the entire Yazdanpanah family, her sister, her brothers, and her parents. A particular thank you goes to Hami Yazdanpanah, for providing emotional support and guidance during my darkest hour.

To George Wesley, who told my story to the online Baha'i community, and by this act surrounded my unborn soul with support and assistance of Baha'is all over the nation. If it were not for his encouragements, I would never have sought out answers from the Baha'i community, and who knows where I may have ended up.

To my friends, who have with open arms at last accepted this turn in my life and who held me together in my grief. May I grieve no more and bring happiness into their lives in infinite gratitude for their acceptance and kindness towards me. A special thank you goes out to Katie and Jennifer, for lending an ear at all times of the night and day and picking me up when I fell.

To Stephanie, over and over to Stephanie, without whom I have no idea where I would be today. May God bless her for her selflessness and the constant giving of herself to help me in bringing Baha'u'llah into my heart.

To Luke, for being, by far, the most loving and humble servant of God I could possibly imagine.

To the New York City Baha'i community, of which there are far too many to name here. Each and every one of them has brought great joy into my life. This extends to the Columbia Baha'i community, the youthful servants of Baha'u'llah. I have been blessed, truly blessed, by being taken into the protecting embrace of these beautiful Manhattan Baha'is.

To the online Baha'is who have read my journal, especially to the Baha'is who posted responses and comments, both here and on A Spiritual Quandary. You all, time and again, pointed my eyes towards the truth, answered my questions with kindness and patience, and gave of yourselves for my own spiritual growth.

To anyone at all who has prayed for me over these past few months. There is no doubt in my mind that your prayers gave my soul the strength to break forth from its shell. As I continue this endless journey, these prayers guide my heavy feet and redirect me when my heart goes astray. I will, in turn, pray for as many of you as possible tomorrow, when I visit Green Acre, and of course, in the days to come.

Finally, to my father, who after I told each painfully honest detail of my story, hearing that I had found God and put down atheism, with teary eyes proclaimed, "Finally!" and we proceeded to celebrate the birth of my soul with great enthusiasm. I found his spirit to be very much in tune with God, and his thoughts and feelings very in line with the Baha'i faith. I will never forget that after listening to me tell him with a joyful heart the teachings of Baha'u'llah, and giving full and eager permission to my request to join the faith, he said to me, "I am not a Baha'i myself... but I could be."

If I could give back one ounce of the joy and love that you have all given me, I would be quite content. May I cease to live my life in grief and sorrow, and from this day forward, be a servant of God, and give whatever gifts I can give of myself to humanity, for the betterment and unification of the world, for as long as God wills me to live.

Allah-u-Abha.