It’s been a few years and sure technology has been there to hold our relationship in the trapeze of life’s circus, lending a hand to swing us through to the next flipping adventure, but will our grip be strong enough to grasp the physical reality? Time has past, families have grown and my have we changed! Simply to put it we are but shadows of when we met, we we’re fledglings, fresh faced souls, and just starting to truly taste the adult life that lay ahead. Here we are, years later still so on the same wave length we had been living on through the years, and though distance has kept us apart, it did not defeat our kindred connection. I crossed a sea and a country or two to have the opportunity to see you again my friend; as Neil Young once said, “keep me searching for a heart of gold, and I’m getting old”. This is a love story, not of romance and fantasy, but of finding family in a friendship that has worked hard and has played out in many of the pages in our stories. There we were before, young, naive in ways, and determined in our career paths we had, living a couple hundred feet away from one another and not evening knowing where our next step would be. Those first months had us in a whirlwind of groundbreaking experiences and frustrations which I believe brought us together; in a sea of drastic opposites we drifted to one another in our quiet ways. Every memory from back then makes me laugh harder with each passing year, we put up with so much and received so little, but that was okay…we weren’t there for reasons other than adventure, and in that we found a great friendship. I will never forget you catering to every detail before I was sent overseas and how you were the only one to see me off and of course pack an extra burrito in my bag for the trip (it was delicious!). That day will always be the day I saw you become more than a great friend, but a family member to me. I mean sure that burrito solidified the feeling (I kid), but truly your warmth and the giant heart you have has always been a comfort for me. I couldn’t be happier to have shared some of the most memorable experiences in my life along with you and then later in addition with your husband and beautiful children. Let’s be real here, how many people have seen wild dolphins leaping by the dozen, a whole orca pod swimming along, dozens of sea lions with babies & were pregnant sun bathing, paddle boarding, running in hilarious costumes in Balboa Park at night, kayaking with sharks, exploring a deserted island, living through a sand storm in the desert, sleeping in the sands of the Mojave for a couple weeks, carrying packs as big as we were, bumping into manatees in a river, shooting guns for a week straight, eating chips & guacamole in a movie theater (a personal highlight), Old Town fiestas, witnessing a beautiful marriage and the creation of a wonderful family, getting lost in Florida for hours, tackling all 4 Disney World parks in two days with basically no sleep, getting soaked to the bone on account of rain and not losing our smiles, and making sure we never miss out on one another as the years float on. For those outsiders looking in, this friendship is perfect, but not in the way you would assume. Yes, we have fought, not spoken, disagreed, lost touch, and even have conflicting beliefs however that has never come between us. When you love someone enough there is an understanding and frankly that doesn’t ever really get in the way; sure we agree a lot and have a lot of similar standards which is wonderful when you can find that in another soul to relate to. What I can say about the family you choose is that it is phenomenal to have opened your heart to one you don’t by birth have to “put up with” or stick around with in this life. Placing your trust, your secrets, promises, and to share your life with a nonbiological companion is by far one of the most fulfilling works I have encountered in my life. Many may not know what I am speaking of or some may never get to experience the caliber of friend I have been blessed by to share my journey with, but let me tell you it is an inspiring bond. I cannot tell you the first time I felt I had found a soul that was honestly ready to hold my hand the way we have grown to be to this day, I couldn’t even tell you the first time we spilled secrets to one another and shared our dreams, but I do recall I knew I had found a heart of gold once we did become friends. The love there is to share in this life is not easy and it is not always possible to find a genuine union, and as stated, not all love is romantic, but it is grand and I can say this friendship has been a great love of my life. I look forward to many more years of diligence in corresponding between us and confiding in a soul that knows my own. As you said “we never missed a beat”. -SM
Very beautifully put!
Why thank you Jordan. -SM