I have a friend, we'll just call her Gypsy. We've known each other forever it seems, and minus a few years of our lives, that's the truth. When I think of her, I think of the night Big George found us all at that party, and how she and I fibbed our way out of trouble. Well, she fibbed, I was just there to make it look good, cause I rarely got into trouble. I think of teen-aged dances and what we thought were broken hearts. Listening to that sappy 80's music and crying our eyes out over love gone wrong. I think of arguments we had because we both have strong personalities, and didn't always agree.
Then school ended and we drifted into our own lives. We spent time catching up at our ten year reunion, and then a few years later at Wally's funeral. On the hardest day of my life hers were one of the hands I held. I used her strength to bolster myself so that I would not fall, and when I finally gave in to the pain it was her arms I felt around me, and her voice that I heard saying "we've got you, it's o.k.".
We've known great loves, and unfortunately great losses, and we now live half a country apart. Facebook was the thing that ultimately brought us together again. I admired her strength and courage when she picked up her life and moved out east. I am a huge fan of her work, and she has been a tremendous inspiration to me.
This past week things have unraveled for her again, and having just emerged from my own pain, I feel hers, deeply. I wish there was something I could do or say to take it away, but I know from experience that this is something she has to do on her own. Everything I could offer would sound like a cliche' anyway. If I were there I would give her my hand and hold her up, let her use some of my new found strength until she could find her own again. If she were here, I would get the girls together, turn on some 80's ballads, and get a Shamrock Pizza. Heck, it couldn't hurt.....
To the Gypsy: Be good to yourself. Take however long you need to heal, and only YOU can know how long you need. Know that so many people wish they could help, or just plain fix it. Lean on your friends, when you can. No one will think less of you for it. Strong women forget that sometimes, and you are a very strong woman. P.S. I have Shamrock on speed dial. :) ♥
Then school ended and we drifted into our own lives. We spent time catching up at our ten year reunion, and then a few years later at Wally's funeral. On the hardest day of my life hers were one of the hands I held. I used her strength to bolster myself so that I would not fall, and when I finally gave in to the pain it was her arms I felt around me, and her voice that I heard saying "we've got you, it's o.k.".
We've known great loves, and unfortunately great losses, and we now live half a country apart. Facebook was the thing that ultimately brought us together again. I admired her strength and courage when she picked up her life and moved out east. I am a huge fan of her work, and she has been a tremendous inspiration to me.
This past week things have unraveled for her again, and having just emerged from my own pain, I feel hers, deeply. I wish there was something I could do or say to take it away, but I know from experience that this is something she has to do on her own. Everything I could offer would sound like a cliche' anyway. If I were there I would give her my hand and hold her up, let her use some of my new found strength until she could find her own again. If she were here, I would get the girls together, turn on some 80's ballads, and get a Shamrock Pizza. Heck, it couldn't hurt.....
To the Gypsy: Be good to yourself. Take however long you need to heal, and only YOU can know how long you need. Know that so many people wish they could help, or just plain fix it. Lean on your friends, when you can. No one will think less of you for it. Strong women forget that sometimes, and you are a very strong woman. P.S. I have Shamrock on speed dial. :) ♥
I will NEVER forget that night when Big George came to find us. You and the Gypsy were fast talkers as I was unable to talk due to beer and bad behavior. God bless you two. I have been thinking alot about the Gypsy and those times this week. Great blog.
ReplyDeleteTrying this with my phone, so who knows what we will get. Thanks Red, I've been thinking alot about all of us this week. Thank you also for being the other set of hands that held me up. I laughed, and I got all choked up when I read your comment. It has been way too long since we have all been together. <3
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