A Note to a Dear Friend

"A friend who is far away is sometimes much nearer than one who is at hand. Is not the mountain far more awe-inspiring and more clearly visible to one passing through the valley than to those who inhabit the mountain?" -- Kahlil Gibran

Where are you now? I wonder. What are you doing at this very moment? Could it be that you, too, are looking out your window at the cold, steady, November rain and thinking of me as I am of you?

Dare I hope?

How is it that two disparate souls with so much in common, with so many similar thoughts, ideas, and emotions -- yet with differences enough to intrigue and attract -- can wander aimlessly through most of their lives, each blissfully unaware of the other? And yet how can these same souls then converge for only the briefest of time, as fleeting as a meteor streaking through the dome of night, each leaving such an indelible impression on the other?

Do you even know what you have come to mean to me? I hesitate to call you "friend" because the label, as mere as it is, cannot hope to contain the definition in my heart. Of you, my dear friend, I can say only this: your presence in my life has left me profoundly changed for the better. For what more could I possibly ask?

"Once in a lifetime" ... it is a phrase that has become time-worn; yet it fits when describing the kinship I feel with you, my good, dear friend. You have no idea of the enormity of the gift that you have given me -- the gift of simply knowing you.

You once said that your goal was to make me forget a certain longstanding pain. While I fear that I may never forget, you succeeded in taking away the sting.

"Are you still there? Of course you are ... I can hear you echoing through the corridors of my heart." – Me

You never lose the closest friends. They are always there, whether in sun or in shadow, whether in fog or in rain; they are only but a breath away. All you ever need do is reach out and they are there.

A walk along the streets of summer. Late night conversations until you drifted into fitful sleep. Your laughter. My laughter. How good it felt to laugh again ... like stepping into the sun after a long winter. These are my memories of you.

Life is much fuller for having known you, and far, far emptier in your absence.

“Sometimes being a friend means mastering the art of timing. There is a time for silence. A time to let go and allow people to hurl themselves into their own destiny. And a time to prepare to pick up the pieces when it's all over.” --Gloria Naylor

In your time of need, I am here. I will support you, unconditionally, in whatever you choose to do. I am a shoulder to lean on; an ear to listen; or simply a comforting memory if you become lost. I am here for how long and in whatever capacity you need. Day by day, every day.

My only wish is for your happiness, for you to find your destination at the end of whatever road you travel. For you to finally reach that space where you can say, “Here I am. I am home.”

For who you are … for what you have done … for all that you have given … for everything that you mean, I thank you from the bottom of this wounded heart.

The pinot grigio awaits your glass.

"Don't be dismayed at goodbyes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetime, is certain for those who are friends." -- Richard Bach