The Monkees

I must admit that I am still 'growing up', but if I were to look back 50 years from now my answer to this question would be the same.

I was introduced to the show The Monkees the same month that Peter Tork, one of the actors, passed away. Ever since, it was a refuge for me. It was an escape from boring daily life into a world where good always won in the end, and no matter how terrible the characters' luck was, they always kept smiles on their faces - never failing to put one on mine, too.

The boys acted like a family to each other - exactly what a shy, lonely bookworm girl dreamt of having for her own. They helped ease the empty pit of friendship that not even the best family in the world could fill. They showed me what a family of friends looked like - a family that always has your back, but isn't afraid to push your limits. A second family, one not of blood, but one you can choose and in which you are chosen by others.

The best part about it was and still is the fact that they - Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz, Mike Nesmith, and Peter Tork - were so real. They kept their real names, their on-screen personalities were only slightly exaggerated from their own, and they laughingly broke the 4th wall more times than I can count.

The boys were so authentic I felt I knew them. And in watching that show, I felt I became one of their family. They became a family I will never forget, and for that I will always be grateful.

If I had ever met them, the first thing I would've told them would be:

Micky, Mike, Peter, and Davy:

Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.