Part of the Original Woman series:

I’ve always felt like we were more than friends. Even when we were kids, I looked at you as part of my sister clan. You’ve always felt like family. I know you have secrets and painful memories that you’ve had to heal yourself from. And, somehow, you remain soft and forgiving. I admire you for that.

I remember coming by your house one year when I was home from college. when Lilian was still a baby. I pulled up in your driveway, you came over to my car and pushed this little round thing through the window into my arms. I felt all of those familiar feelings that people experience when they get to hold a loved one’s child for the first time. I was surprised at how small but heavy she was at the same time. I felt like that was a mark of a healthy baby. Most of all, I was taken by how much she looked like a tiny version of you. Like, she is you recreated, and how beautiful that is.

The last few times I went home from Chicago, we weren’t able to work out a visit. I didn’t feel great about it, but that's life I guess. So when I received your virtual birthday invitation, I made up my mind that I would go back to Cleveland specifically to see you. I thought back to how lonely I felt on my 31st birthday and when my brother called how I cried to him over the phone. On the inside I felt isolated. I wanted you to know that I still cared even though my time home was quickly becoming compromised. I kept reminding myself that, this time, I needed to be there.

Being face to face and seeing how your eyes light up when you tell a story sent a boost of positive energy to my heart. Maybe you didn't know it, but you helped ME that night. There is power in our friendship and the length of time that we have known each other holds a special kind of significance. That night, I was reminded of how important it is for us to continue to show up in one another’s life.