Day 85 – On Friendship…

In days of chaos,
Slow down. In days of sadness,
Slow down. Breathe. Be-loved.
- Saoirse Charis-Graves

We barely said “hello.”

Through the sliding glass doors you entered my world, once again.

Hello was a hug and jumping right in. No need for niceties or small talk. No need to “catch up.”

I don’t even know how long it’s been since we’ve seen each other.

Months.

A year.

Longer.

A lifetime of friendship. A for real life time.

As we walked with one another … passing by our old school playground, remembering in our minds’ eyes what once was, giggling at memories, the conversation danced. So smoothly, from one topic to another, no question off limits, no hesitation, nothing left unspoken.

Another layer deeper and deeper. We sunk in.

Sharing straight to and from the heart.

Like I was talking to myself, but being witnessed.

As we were walking, I had to stop a few times and just look at you. Your longer hair, your glasses, you in all of your youness, seeing all of who you were and all of who you are now in this moment… decades of knowing and being with you.

So many versions of me you have seen and known and walked beside. All versions of me. And I… you.

Places and spaces we could have never imagined life taking us at six, sixteen, twenty-six.

And yet, here we are.

In the nowness of life and the nowness of us.

It’s no small thing to have journeyed all of this way, through all of these paths, together.

“You need people in our life to allow for the unfolding of who you are.”

Phyllis Speigel

And just as quick as it began, it was over. Life calling us back to our roles. To our lives apart, to our once and a while texts.

Another hug.

And my favorite part …

“I love you,” you called as I walked back out the sliding glass doors into the blue sky day.

“I love you too!!” I called back.

Knowing that next time, whenever that next time might be, wherever it might find us, we’ll jump right back in.

Love you.

Until Tomorrow …

N