This last week was a crazy one for me, two of my friends experienced a loss and the boyfriend experience the one year anniversary of losing his father. I knew his dad. I knew his dad, his family and even though I never thought we would be dating a year later, I am so happy we are. And I was happy to share this anniversary with him.
When an event happens, it can feel like you are alone. That it only happened to you. Then you open your eyes and realize that your story could be told in 100 different ways by 100 different people that experienced the same thing. The boyfriend and I headed out on Wednesday to a trendy new restaurant in town with another couple... the other guy had also lost a parent. The four of us openly talked about the anniversary, their experiences, how they dealt with the losses in their life. It was refreshing and I loved that the boyfriend was not alone. I can not relate to this experience, but I very much love hearing about the people that matter to my friends, whether they are with us or not.
We wrapped up dinner and headed home. Just as we were about to get out of the car, my friend's date handed the boyfriend an envelope and goes, "Read this later." We both knew what it was about and I immediately loved the gesture. I loved that this person opened up to someone he didn't really know about something so personal. But shared. And offered friendship.
"Hearing one voice in solidarity can be transforming for people."
We are all bonded in many different ways. I find myself getting so busy, or frustrated on efforts that fall on deaf ears, that I forget how good it feels when someone reaches out to you. It is important, no matter the age, to reach out to people, enjoy the human connection and in some cases, just remind them they are not alone.
