Good Friends Are Like Stars

When I was in high school, I lived in the basement bedroom in my house.  Some would find this space cold, scary and uninviting.  I, on the other hand, found it to be a private place, a place I was allowed to decorate and rearrange to my liking - a place that was mine.  Above the horrible wallpaper border (sorry Mom, I do not share your love for glued wall patterns), I would scribe quotes and pithy sayings that I liked and felt connected to my life.  I recall one of them being, "Good friends are like stars, you don't always see them but you know they are always there."  To this day, this mantra rings true, especially since I have made friends in all of the different places I've lived and visited.  Maybe it's because I'm getting older and have a better appreciation of the good things in my life, or maybe it is simply the fact that I've been friends with people longer, but lately I find myself saying, "Man, I have such great people in my life."  And I wouldn't trade this feeling for any riches in the world. 

Whenever people ask me how Jessenia and I met, I usually start by saying, "I didn't really like her at first," and perhaps she is the number one example of why you don't judge a book by its cover.  Because the more I got to know her, the more I saw how saavy she was, how persistent and loyal she was, and most of all, how thoughtful she was.  We spent two years together in Miami making memories that even a movie star wouldn't forget, moved back up north together, maybe not in the same state but at least in the same state of mind.  And for all of the months that passed when I had her just a car ride away, I knew one day she would tell me, "I'm moving back to Miami."  That was always her dream; shit, that was always OUR dream, but she actually put the money where her mouth was and did it.  I remember being really resentful when I heard the news - how could she leave me?  How could she go back without me? And then I realized - it wasn't about it me.  Nor should it be.  How could I be mad at her for having the courage to do the thing I couldn't?  For taking a risk and acting on those personal qualities that I loved about her?  All I could do was celebrate her decision and hope and pray we would stay close. 

More and more, I am realizing that no matter how far away we are from each other, we are always going to be connected.  We have always valued each others' opinions, advice, and ideas whether its romance, style or careers.  We both work in advertising, we both work in media, and let's face it, we are both pretty fabulous - how could we NOT be connected to each other.  Either way, I absolutely love getting a call that starts with, "I know our lives are in sync because..." and listening to the story that follows.  It makes me smile because I know somehow, someway, our lives will ALWAYS be connected, that she will always want to tell me about her latest career success or send me the latest video of her sweet little dog - and I will always listen, watch or contribute.  And if any day I miss her and wish she were here or at least one state away, I can look up into the sky and know that friends really are like stars - they are always there when you need them.