Friends are the gems of life. The good ones build you up, hold you together, and make life brighter even on the dreariest days. Most of the time, you find friends just around the corner, close to home. You don’t have to go far to see them. What a joy it is to wake up and know that you can meet within minutes. Some friends travel oceans, soar across skies, and drive across countries to enter your life -- these are the friends who find you.
To my long distance friend who I will always cherish,
Have you ever heard of a red string of fate? You entered my life unexpectedly. Our friendship was not something that was planned by us, but perhaps there was a touch of destiny in our meeting. Our first “hellos” might have been incredibly awkward and the occasional meetings after that were just the same, however, there was something that we didn’t notice at first -- we were bonding.
Before I knew it, you became a normal part of my everyday life. You became the bright side of a gray day when rain threatened to escape the clouds. The foods on my dining hall plate became unusually colorful and delicious, boring meetings turned to entertaining programs, and long hours spent in the library were adventures. Even long walks back home became the best part of my day because you were there.
In a place where I often felt surrounded by mere acquaintances and people who only shared surface smiles and generic chats, there you were to offer your genuine smile and authentic conversations. I suddenly realized that I could trust you with the thoughts that would never reach the ears of anyone else. We shared our daily embarrassing moments and even experienced a few that we probably could not have survived alone. Perhaps you remember the daily messages that simply read, “See you at the stairs.” That became our own Batman signal. Do you remember those parties? Of course you do, but we know to keep those memories between us.
Speaking of memories, the greatest ones in my life are the ones that we shared. Side by side, we took on the world and nothing could stop us. Within a few days, weeks, and months, my life filled with photos and notes of priceless memories that even time cannot erase. Unfortunately, time is not something that we can stop and soon our time side by side had to come to an end. It was an inevitable moment that we tried our best not to think about. Even though our final weeks together brought only a saddening countdown, we enjoyed each day until the last. I would be lying if I said that it was easy to let go of our final hug.
After my eyes became waterfalls and my days became as gray as those that you used to brighten for me, I realized something. We didn’t say goodbye, but “see you later.” Now, with each ring of my phone and notification on my Facebook, I jump with joy. We may not be able to talk regularly, but when we do, it is as if we are sitting in the same room. However, we have new stories to tell. As we conquer the world from two different sides of the globe, we have only new adventures to share with each other. Our friendship did not end with a final hug and a bundle of memories to lock away. Instead, our friendship has soared to new heights. Yes, I miss you incredibly. I miss waking up and knowing that we could meet for lunch or just bump into each other on our way to Starbucks. Some days seem a bit more robotic without the excitement of meeting up with you, but I have learned to hold onto that excitement because I know that we will meet again.
From strangers to friends to my inseparable other half, I am grateful to have you in my life. Oceans can stand between us, but my heart is full of our friendship and that is enough to evaporate the seas and have my friend next to me. As time passes, I can only look forward to meeting you again. Until then, I will continue to work hard and create memories with those around me so that I can share them with you.
My dear long distance friend and other half, see you at the stairs.
