Life is a funny thing. Sometimes people are huge huge parts of your life, then circumstances drift you apart from each other. When life gets really cool, is when circumstances drift you back together with those people after years of not even really knowing where each other was. Allison is one of those people. When I was very young, Allison and her husband attended the same church as us. My parents became good friends with them, and they looked after us a few times when my folks had to go out of town. They started their family while we knew them, and we knew their two oldest daughters as babies and toddlers. Then life got in the way. We all moved, we lost touch, you all know the story. Then life took over. Last year I got married. About 5 months before the wedding, I received a note on Facebook (God bless Facebook!) from Allison. She had finally succeeded in tracking our family down and several long phone calls ensued. She was so thrilled about my upcoming wedding, and she and her husband graciously offered us the use of their vacation home as a honeymoon destination. We accepted and had a most incredible trip - for next to nothing.
Allison is a fiercely loyal and independent woman. She works hard to keep the most important things in her life strong, including her passion for her work, her family, and her friends. Even when I was so young, I looked up to her immensely and hoped to become a woman even a little like her. (I wanted her red hair too lol) In the time leading up to our wedding, Allison and John also paid forward to us a kindness that had been paid to them when they were our age, and that made me want to be like her even more. To be able to see in us something they related to, and wanted to nurture was an overwhelming kindness for me. We have not seen each other in person in over15 years (something I desperately hope to change in 2011!) but Allison's influence on my life has been huge, and it continues to grow.
As I wrote my letter to Allison I felt as if I was writing an old friend (which I am, we just lost touch for 10+ years) and the words came so easily. I could remember times spent with her and her family when I was young, and I wished so hard we lived closer together so we could spend time together again now. She is an incredible woman, and I think with a little effort, I can be a lot like her... I sure am trying!
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