It’s my feeling that we are all recovering souls in one way or another. It’s fair to say that we all have some sort of addiction, and many of us feel broken in one way or another. I know I have felt that way a good portion of my life. Anymore I’ve finally figured out that the parts in me that I thought were broken or different are really what have built me into the person I am. The foundation to the house my soul lives in, if you’ll allow the analogy.
When I lost my close friendship with my best friend, Jennifer I really thought I’d never find another friend I could feel that close to. My friend Bonnie, who was there for me in my darkest period, couldn’t be that close because she lives so far away. She’ll always be my dearest friend. I realize after meditating on it that I have many good friends. I’m not going to list them, but this past February when I needed them they really stepped up. I’ll never be able to thank them enough.
In the wake of Jennifer I decided to really just hang out with my boys, work, write, and really work on myself. The Universe, as it seems the Universe always does, had another plan.
A while ago I started talking to someone. She lived near Stacey close to Astoria. She had a lot going on in her life, as I did, but we seemed to hit it off really well. I wasn’t looking for anything. After all I had all the drama of my own going on with Jenny and Kat. (and poor Stacey) it seemed silly to think I could have anything more to give of myself to anyone else, so we just talked. She was also in a relationship that was ending hard. We were just reaching out to each other to find someone that understood our situation without the need or desire to have a relationship. The truth is we both just needed an ear to listen to what was going on in the other’s life.
We became closer than we thought, but not in that “I feel the need to sleep with them or be in a relationship with them” attachment way. We were just friends. Now we don’t go a day without talking. A couple of weeks ago we even let our kids meet each other.
Here was the best part. Without the attachment that develops in most friendships we were able to keep close without the need for desire or expectation of anything from each other. Absolutely no expectations in any manner. We didn’t hold each other to anything other than just being completely open and honest about everything. I mean everything too. I found myself telling her things that I even felt odd talking to Jennifer about. I was as open with my new friend as I am with Bonnie, and I tell Bonnie everything. TMI x3! The friendship that developed with my new friend was different. Closer than we thought we’d become.
I love to skate, mostly longboard anymore. She wanted to learn how to skate, so I gave her my extra board, and she picked it up pretty quick. So I have a new skate partner, and it’s great because we can skate the trails to the beach.
The best part of my new friendship was just having someone I could finally just be my broken self around, and she didn’t care. She can be her broken self around me, and I don’t care. We can both be awkward, and silly without any judgement or need to be anything other than just us. Just be. One minute we’re talking serious about the person we have a crush on, the next minute we’re walking on the beach holding hands. It’s the first time I’ve ever felt I can just sit silently, and just not talk without the need to fill in needless, nervous conversation for the sake of filling time. We can just sit, watch the sunset, beach comb, or hang out without the need for the nasty non-vegan cream filling. We can simply just be. I’m as honestly surprised as she is we became such close friends.
When you remove desire and expectations the level of friendships you find and discover become deeper and more important.
Neither feel the need to rush into anything. That’s fantastic! It’s the feeling that when she looks at me, or listens to me that she’s really present and there with me that means the most. We don’t have the need to worry or plan for a future, because we are too busy living the moment we have. Moment by moment. Relaxed and fun. Living in that one moment. Doesn’t matter if we’re skating, or if she’s laughing at me for acting like an ass. Each moment is just there. Until we say goodbye. Even then we know it’s only temporary. We both get that. Life and everything else is temporary. So we don’t waste our time together living in regret, or ever worrying about judging each other for our messed up past. After all, it’s the past. We can’t change it, so why ever let it bother us. Our past is our story. It’s who we are. It’s why we are who we are. We can let it guide us or define us.
I’d prefer to let my past guide me. It doesn’t define me. I never wake up the same person as I was the day before. I can’t. That guy is gone. I wake up with more hair, more memories, and more enlightenment.
I’m not perfect. I’ll never be prefect. I’ll never try to be perfect.
I’m just a recovering soul.
Like you.
I have a new friend who has made my soul smile, and I hope I make her soul smile too. Life is too short. Live moment to moment in that moment, and just be. Be happy. Find that one friend that makes it all better.
xoxo
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My sound track while writing was all Blink 182 (because I actually get asked what I listen to while I write).
