If she could make a toast and celebrate you; she’d lift her glass and say a few words.
It’s been quite the journey on a long, winding road.
The early years never saw a cloudy day in 32821.
She remembers the beginning, sitting in her suite at school, wanting to be anywhere but there. Those fifteen weeks were some of the toughest weeks she’d ever known. But somehow, it made it a little easier, knowing her friend was having some of the toughest days of her life too. The quest to figure it out — what to do, who to be, kept the pursuit of something greater seeming within reach most days. Sometimes she needed a shove and other days she needed to be carried. As those days became stories, the characters started writing chapters in other books.
They both fell in love with different genres. No matter how hard they tried to write chapters in each other’s books, it didn’t flow as well as they hoped. They definitely influenced each other’s writing in big ways. They shared a common theme to change the world, but they couldn’t agree on the driving force behind their ambition. The inspiration they felt began to swell and she knew she had to make some adjustments. Her writing took her all over the world — pursuing the depths of love and hope. When she came back home, she wasn’t the same.
But her friend wasn’t the same either. She began opening doors and exploring the possibilities before her. A whole new world was waiting at her doorstep and with eager anticipation, she took a step and then another. Her speed picked up and she was headed west.
She looked back a few times. At first, her friend wasn’t too far behind. Some days growing weary in the race, while other days their friendship seemed to be headed in the right direction. However, one day when she turned around, her friend was further in the distance; she could hardly recognize her face. She quickly turned around and started running towards her friend. She approached a roadblock. She tried to go around, go over, go under — but failed at all attempts to get beyond. She stood for a while and watched her friend fade into the east.
Her friend had been such an inspiration to her over the years. She was strength and encouragement. She was hope and love. She knew because of her friend, she couldn’t stand at the roadblock, but she had to turn back around and run again, in the direction she was first headed. This time alone, she was hopeful her heart was telling her to do the right thing. Hopeful the journey would refine her and make her into the person she was beoming. Hopeful if she continued in this direction, their paths would cross again.
After all, east will eventually meet west, right? And when they meet again, their lives will be rich for the time they spent alone, writing and adding to the stories of their lives. They will celebrate the goals they’ve acheived and the lesssons they’ve learned. Some days may bring a slow step while others seem to be a sprint. But they will be different. There is no denying the journey and it’s powerful influence. One day, they will stand on the other side, grateful for the push in the right direction because one tough day in the past made them pursue everything they wanted to become and the ways they always hoped to change the world.
She’s sure she’ll lift her glass and offer a toast to her friend one day. It might sound something like this, “I’m proud of your courage and your determination to go in the direction of your dreams. You faced difficult and lonely days I’m sure. But there was hope in your step as you sought to rid your life of safe places. Being unsure of the future and the possibilities of change can sometimes make people bitter and broken. But it’s in the broken places where you find your defining moments. You chose to be brave. Now look at you…”
Another chapter was written and the book became a best seller. “Friends for life?” She said. “Fur real!” She replied. They laughed, both recalling days that seemed so long ago; yesterdays that shaped their tomorrow.
