CELEBRATE KATE 09.13.2026

Happy Birthday Katee

I'm fully aware of how you feel about your birthday after everything you shared with me about it happened. Even so, your life and uniqueness are an undeniable cause for celebration for everyone who has had the honor and privilege of being chosen by you to experience the way your mind—including your cute photogenic brain—and your heart come together to bring your exclusive self to light.

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Kate´s Grace

Your exclusive self emerges when you feel genuinely comfortable and safe. And you... just... are. I got a few glimpses of Kate—most unmistakably yourself—perhaps you didn't even register it happening. I remember you said to me once, "... Era una de esas niñas,"—talking about the environment you grew up in. You will always be, and you also get to become the kind of person the very same people admire. I have gotten enough exposure to very different worlds, including some of the highest echelons, to realize that some people have what surrounds them, but you possess a truly exclusive grace that allows you to extend beyond that environment and will take you farther. You also once said to me, "... La mayoría de cosas se resuelven con plata," and I couldn't agree more—and I have no doubt you will command as much of it as you want. But privileged circumstances—those can change. What you have in you cannot be purchased, fabricated, or taken away. It is imperishable, and it is entirely, uniquely and exclusively yours.

The reality of how much you love your abuelos, your devotion to the Virgin, caring for dogs you don't even know, the way you're practical yet deeply caring, and how you see much more than you let people know—effortlessly connecting the dots while others either couldn't see them or simply didn't care to try. All of those are real, but it is everything that thrives between them: the way you think, the way you notice, the way you care, the way you are. And that is why, beyond everything you've been through—and the deeply admirable way you faced and conquered it—in who you have always been and who you will always be, I saw not someone you had to live up to, but the actual exclusive you, entirely your own. Anyone should feel fortunate to witness you navigating life, especially the people closest to you. But I’ll come back to them a bit later.

NOT A SURPRISE

Your Exclusive Birthday Basket: YEBB

I'm also quite aware that you hate surprises, so here's a clear picture of what's in YEBB—featuring all the things you mentioned, plus selected picks tailored to your taste—I hope. I also made sure the greeting card keeps everything about the sender completely low-key. Just let me know if this works for you, and you'll get your basket delivered however you prefer.

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You can click the pic to enlarge it in full color
People are our capital

INDUSTRY Pierpoint & Co.

Here's a close-up pic of your cozy, genuinely soft white hoodie (I hope I'm right on cue with the color, as I remember you like wearing white). I had Pierpoint & Co. / Industry embroidered very subtly in the exact style that Rob wore, but designed entirely for you. Unique in the world—no one else will have it. The 150th Pierpoint & Co. anniversary logo is only visible when the hood is up, so you can wear it whenever and wherever you want without it being overly noticeable—Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy style, perhaps.


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Front / back / embroidery detail
The Pledge, The Turn, and...

The Prestige

Short story time: The Prestige—the book is actually not a direct retelling of the movie, it has its own twists and turns. That was the original idea, but Amazon had a different one (as you can see in the screenshot). When something like that happens my instinct tells me: "You're going to solve it and it is going to be even better than the original." I tried, and I hope you like these books. They're well-recommended reads—hopefully you haven't tried them yet—that explore money and finance in entertaining ways. I know that you like to figure things out in the small hours, but I also know that reading is what works best when you're trying to fall asleep. I hope you enjoy them at your own pace, maybe get introduced to some facts while helping you get some rest.

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And last but not least…

A very special message

From someone you certainly remember, 100% in the flesh and not AI, better known for her role as Marissa Cooper on The O.C., here's the one and only Mischa Barton:

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IN CASE YOU WANT TO DOWNLOAD IT

Kate, please don't feel any pressure to reply, or even to accept YEBB. You are the reason I brought it to life after you and I spun the idea around, but as it always should be, it's entirely up to you if you want it. Your boundaries are, and always will be, a priority for me. Just please know for certain that it belongs exclusively to you. I know for a fact that life is definitely better because you're in it.

One more thing
Thank you.

One more thing—I just want to say thank you. Our last call was a massive wake-up call (no pun intended). It was the first, and absolutely the last, time I'll ever let something like that happen to me. Medically speaking, it was a paradoxical reaction to a new dose prescription, but that is fully behind me now. Curiously enough, weaning off it ended up being easier than I initially thought. It all came down to taking care of myself the way I know how and the way I'm used to. Along the way, I’ve already dropped 14 pounds (the Harvard way) and got a new/old haircut, so I'm back to being my old self, but also a new one. Renewed, if you will.

You reached me more than you're probably aware. You likely don't even know how you did it, but that’s simply part of your uniqueness—at least for those who know how to listen to you, and see you for your exclusive self. I had forgotten many things about myself, the things that make me who I truly am. I finally realized why that happened, but that’s a story for a different time.

LIKE ROB SAID
“Sometimes, the loneliest place can be in a room with the people who are supposed to love you.”

Parent-sourced distress wears many faces. I'll be brief, but please allow me to share this with you: my parents almost let me die when I was 10 years old. I still have the scar from the second surgery to remind me. Please don't get me wrong—I have no idea what you went through, and I would never be so disrespectful as to assume, but I can empathize. I'm aware I had mentally blocked it out, though I still clearly remember the pain. Being in pain for so long. Yet, even with it blocked, it became instantly clear that everything was still right there the moment you shared your story with me. It didn't just resonate; it sparked an unexpected kinship toward you. That didn't come across well, given the paradoxical medication reaction that day. Talk about a perfect storm, right? The earthquake, having to be the rock for the 106 people reporting directly to me in that moment, the realization of leaving Boston finally hitting me, high-stakes meetings that simply couldn't stop—just to name a few.

But beyond all of that, I got to see the actual, talented you. So, Kate, please know that if or whenever you decide you want it, I will hear you. Whether it’s in 1 year, 10 years, or any amount of time, even if we haven't spoken since, I will hear you. And I mean it: If there is ever a missing piece you need for any plan that gets you closer to where you want to be, or allows you to expand your talents, it's yours. Not because you aren't perfectly capable of getting those pieces yourself, but because sometimes, being heard at the exact right time saves talented people from carrying an unnecessary weight all alone and the quiet scars that follow. I won't let it happen the way you and I went unheard when we were kids and needed it the most. I am in a position in life where I can hear you and actually do something, and I will, if you ever decide that´s what you want. No expectations, no need for validation, not even a single question from me. You do what you need to do and I trust the actual, talented you.

I want only one thing: for you to be the person you want to be—the person you've always been at your core, regardless of any temporary circumstances. I'm going to tell you something you probably already know, but you are really into design, maybe a tad more than you give yourself credit for. Please think about the house you pointed out to me—the one you said you'd like to live in—or the building where you told me you'd want to work in Palo Alto, Pance. They share a clean, contemporary, yet refined style (they also share nature and natural light, but that's a conversation for another day). They aren’t ordinary in the slightest; they are incredibly well thought out. I think that's exactly the kind of life you want to design for yourself. A well-thought-out, interesting life that actually allows you to feel secure and at ease. You want a life with "open spaces" and the right kind of light that shines exactly where you're supposed to be. Where you belong. I know you view yourself as fundamentally analytical, but feelings are useful when guided properly—we are human, after all. I am certain you have that spark, and if you ever decide there is something you need to keep it shining, or to make it shine even brighter, my offer stands—no expectations, no need for validation, not even a single question from me.

Dari no-esquinero ✓

Which brings me to why I haven't reached out before. I respect your boundaries, and I remember you clearly saying you were more comfortable hitting pause—which is obviously entirely within your right. Probably this next part wasn't clear in the middle of it all, but I value you first and foremost as a person, and friendship is the primary connection here. If you ever decide you want to un-pause a potential friendship—at your own pace, of course—please know it will always be on terms that bring you peace and keep your energy exactly where you want it to be. Perhaps it's a good opportunity to let you know that you can always tell me anything; I will always listen to you without any judgment whatsoever. Since I've seen you, one of the upsides is that you never have to live up to an imposed image with me, which is honestly beneath you. The actual, talented you—your exclusive self—is cooler and far more interesting.

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I really hope your birthday is—and feels—better this year, and every single year from now on.

I also hope your abuelos are doing well, health-wise. I remember you calling your grandpa the best man in the world. I’m so glad you have them. I know how much you love them and how much they mean to you.

Juan (Juann)