Today was one of those days that I was feeling particularly down about life circumstances. I’ve definitely been living in a three-year old soap-opera that needs a major re-write. With a job loss, transportation loss, major health issues and moves across the country, I have reached the season ending finale. I just wish I knew what the finale is…
Then I received a call from a friend-Barbara H. and suddenly I felt the blessing of friendship. The empathy, the sympathy, the non-judgemental friend was there catching up on the latest episodes of my show called life as I caught up with hers.
I remember transferring to a new school from North Carolina to New York at the age of 10. I was the new girl, awkward, with a southern accent. Not only was this a major change in my life but my mom had remarried and suddenly I went from an only child to having 3 new siblings. This was a huge adjustment.
Then one day I met Barbara H. and my adjustment suddenly became easier, we were together always. We laughed and we had such dreams. We were best friends. She is someone that you could tell your deepest darkest secrets to and know they would never come to light. Going to camp together, relying on each other. Even though it was the 80′s it was also very special because she is white and I am black, yet we never saw color. I was picked on because of my friendship with her often but it never hurt our friendship.
Then life happened and she moved away, at the height of a teenager’s most formative years. Junior and Senior year of high school. I was devastated but there was nothing that we could do and somehow with me moving from state to state to state after graduation, I lost contact with her.
Flash forward 20 years later and through the greatest invention of the internet, she googled my name and sent me a message asking if I was the girl she went to junior and high school with and in an instant-it seemed like the years melted away and we were connected again.
While our lives haven’t turned out to be the blockbusters that we initially thought there definitely have been some critically acclaimed moments. Barbara has two beautiful boys and a wonderful supportive family. I overcame my obesity issue and realized my dream of being a singer/songwriter.
The blessing of friendship doesn’t mean that we have to speak everyday. Just knowing that we can reach out to each other in good times and bad makes what ever drama, comedy, mystery, adventure or any other life events worthwhile.
Tanya Fermin
WAYS TO CONTACT ME!
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