To Shanice S.:
June 4, 2023 marks the end of a season, and when I put it like that I’m sad. Honestly, I’m probably in a bit of denial. It feels like it’s just going to be a long trip, a few months away and then all will be as it has been for the last ten years. Maybe it’s because you will be back in a few months, or maybe it’s because I know that this is the kind of friendship that lasts despite distance and life changes. I’ve seen a number of people come and go in my time at Uchee Pines, and I’ve seen some of those relationships weather the miles and years. Maybe that’s part of why I’m not here balling my eyes out, feeling like I’ve lost a friend. No, I haven’t lost a friend by any means. Yes, things will be different. The miles will be hard at times. I’ll miss so many things about having you close, but I’ve known this day was coming for a bit now. And a part of me knew it was needful. So I guess when I stop and really think about it, I’m happy and sad all at the same time. I mean having someone be such an intricate part of your day to day life for ten years is a pretty big deal. And adjusting to that not being the case will be hard. But I’m happy for your new venture. This is what we’ve prayed for. This is the making of a dream come true. And in that, I’m happy and can be at peace. Ten years. That’s something! Oh we’ve shared so many moments! Sleepovers on my bedroom floor, you sleep walking, surprise parties, road trips, extra long trips due to broken down vehicles, late night walks, countless tears, much laughter, social committee planning sessions, debates on a host of topics, special music practice, impromptu lunch dates, beach trips, shopping parties, smoothie dates, heart-to-heart talks, and the list could go on and on. I’m going to miss going places with you and doing stuff together. You’ve pushed me out of my comfort zone on numerous occasions. You’ve challenged me to be better—be more than I am. If there’s ever been someone who has been real with me and given me a piece of their mind more times than I can count, it’s you. We’re different. People have wondered how we became friends and why we still are. Sometimes maybe we’ve both wondered that. We think so differently and approach life in opposite ways. And yet we’ve been closer than most. All I can say is that love filled up the gaps. A conscious effort at times to try to understand the other. A recognition that mutual respect must pervade. One way in which we are the same is that we don’t let go easily, we don’t give up when things get hard, we don’t walk away when we face a challenge. We stay. We hold on through the thick and thin. We work through it. And we become better because of it. We are not now the same people we were ten years ago. So much has changed. We’ve changed. We’ve changed each other too. Iron sharpens iron. So thank you for being in my life to sharpen me. Thank you for all those “challenging” talks, for calling me out, for calling me higher. Thank you for loving and seeking to understand me, and also my family. Oh yes, my family. I want to stop for a minute and comment on that particular point. Shanice, you not only became my friend, but you actively sought to become my mom’s friend. You listened to her. If I wasn’t home you would visit her. You respected her. You loved her. She became “your girl”. And she loved you too. I can’t even express how much that meant to me. Mom hasn’t been “liked” all that well through the years. But you looked passed it all and saw who she really is. Thank you for being her friend. You may never know how much that really means to me, but thank you. She will miss you. I’m thankful for so many years and so many impactful moments. I’m thankful for you, that we became friends. If there’s anyone who knows how to read my face, it’s you. You can tell when I’m burdened, overwhelmed, mischievous, content, relieved, sad, happy, bothered, confused, frustrated, in “mission mode”, and probably a host of other things too. (We never did complete that “facial dictionary”, but that’s probably for the best.) You have seen me at some of my lowest points—when I’ve struggled through accepting circumstances, faced big disappointments, made bad choices, been broken and beat down, been narrow minded and uncompromising, felt forsaken and all alone. You gave up things you wanted when I needed someone to stand by my side. You challenged me to think differently when I could only look from one point of view. You were there. That’s friendship. Ten years. You’ve grown up at Uchee Pines. You’ve experienced highs and lows. You made it through work-study, LE, LC, LP and just all the stuff that we won’t take the time to mention here. I’m proud of you. You’ve run the race. You’ve finished this part of the course. This season is over and another one has dawned. Of course, as long as I’m here you’ll always have a home at Uchee Pines. You can always sleep on my floor! We recognize that life as we’ve known it won’t be the same. But my sincere prayer is that God will carry you, just as He has the last ten years. May He continue to be your God, the answer to your every question, the sustainer in your lack, the strength in your weakness, the courage in your fear, the peace in your storm. You “were brought into existence because” you “were needed.” Continue to fill that “need” wherever you are. I love you.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
SolominaEverything in life has meaning. There's a lesson in every object, every situation, every process. I want to go deeper, in a higher way. I want to listen, to understand, to know. Archives
June 2023
Categories
All
|