25 years ago I lost a dear friend. She was 18 and way too soon for her to die and her loss has forever impacted me and framed my mindset to love life and enjoy the moments. I lost a dear friend, her mom lost a daughter and 25 years later to the month I sat down Saturday and had lunch with her. She found me late last year on the internet when searching her daughter's name (25 years ago was pre-internet, phones and Facebook) and found something I wrote HERE and HERE. Again, little did I know how much those words I wrote would impact her and she dropped me an email. 8 months later we sat down for lunch to talk about that special person who touched our lives in her short 18 years…….
I was so nervous going to lunch and picking her up but immediately the hug let me know that was just time that passed but the bond was still there. We sat down for lunch and just talked and talked. I think the waiter never knew when to check back becuase we were either laughing our heads off or in tears. Not sad tears but tears of understanding and compassion. Weird to think I lost my best friend but now I could put this in context as a mother myself. How did she process those feelings of losing your child? Heck, back then I was just a kid myself. She opened up about all and I was in awe of her strengh.
We both agreed that the time we had with her we were blessed and I was thankful for the life lessons and value BeBe herself had given me. It not always you get to thank someone from your past. We were two people who shared this experience and many others experiences we discussed. Now a woman on her own as well we caught up on 25 years.
I was so glad I went. I had questions, I wanted to open up about my feelings then and now and tell her the impact she had. I told her exactly what I needed to and let go of things I had held onto like the "Why's" and "What could have been done".
We could not help but think that Alicia was looking down, rolling her eyes in her motherly way and knowing she set this whole reunion up. Thanks Alicia…we clinked our glasses and toasted to you. It was a day I will not soon forget and we agreed that we would not let 25 years pass again.
Oh so thankful for this day……
"Listen to your soul. Trust your intuition; it will rarely lead you astray. If it doesn’t feel right in your gut, then it probably isn’t. So stop worrying about what you’re supposed to do and start doing what you know is right. No matter how you live, someone will be disappointed. Just live your truth and be sure YOU aren’t the one who is disappointed in the end."