I actually had a completely different post put together, ready to be posted online when I realized and decided that something needed to be addressed first. The concept of community is still a new and astounding thing to me; it’s something I’ve always craved for yet feared. To be truly involved in a community of people, there has be a give and take, a commitment towards vulnerability with people you continue to grow in trust, respect and love. My community of people consists of the friends I’ve met throughout my travels, my family, those old friends I’ve known for more than a decade and those that surround me here in Edmonton. It is this emphasis that I try to carry and apply to my life, regardless of how busy my schedule can get.
Today, I want focus on one particular group of friends that have really opened my eyes in the past year, that have surrounded me with so much support and love that I feel the need to write a sort of a love letter. Today, I’m writing to my girls. That’s right. For quite a while, I have scorned the friendship between women because I saw a lot of the negative pettiness that existed between women and the drama, oh the drama. But the past year or so, God has really put an emphasis of meeting and developing close relationships with girls in Edmonton and rejuvenating and deepening the already close relationships with my girls that live elsewhere. So here we go 🙂
Dear Girls,
I’m not quite sure how to start this letter. Somehow, I don’t think the usual greetings will suffice but hey, I’m just killing time right now as I try to find the right words. Your friendship has been a light in my world. I’ve never experienced so much joy and support as I have in the last year I’ve been in Edmonton. I always knew that God grounded me in one place for a relatively prolonged period of time so that I may develop relationships but I never thought I would’ve found you girls. You are the girls that rock my socks. Somehow, we bounded like glue. Actually, in some cases, it was almost like lightening and we were instant friends. If I look back, all I can think of is ‘hawt diggity! we became friends so quickly’. And it’s not just a surface friendship, no. It’s a friendship that delves into the reality of who we are, the struggles that we face, not just with boys but with life. Most of all, we unite in our faith, the one thing that brought us together in the first place, the one thing that enables this deep connection that we share. It doesn’t matter if we climb, bike, run or swim together, though we probably do at least one of those things together. Maybe it’s when you call me out for lunch or a movie night, or willingness to squeeze in a short coffee date into your busy schedule because you know I need some face time with someone who cares and loves me. Maybe it’s when you answer instantly to my text and tell me to call ASAP because you know I need to talk to someone NOW. Maybe it’s because you are willing to pray with me regardless of what I’m going through, whether or not you’re physically with me or because you just keep me in your prayers. You inspire me. You inspire me with your triumphs, with your struggles and with your faith in God. You inspire others; you just don’t know it, but you do. You were uniquely created by the God who loves you unconditionally and bestowed gifts upon you so that you may be a salt and light to the world. You have got to know that you have achieved that in my life. So let me end this before I get too sappy: Thank you.
B