I have a friend moving out of town. I will miss her very much although I really haven't seen her much lately. She's the kind of friend you don't need to be seen with all the time. But when you need her, you need her. Because she's the only one who will just listen. We understand when the other needs to go "underground" for a bit. And each is like a vault to the other's secrets.
So while my day to day won't be affected so much, my heart will. I fear we will lose touch. I know we will exchange Christmas cards for a while but then, who knows. I can't feel our future just yet. But for now, I feel a lost spot.
I think there are friends like this that are part of the journey. Stepping stones along the path. But maybe not ones who come along. Those who appear to us as teachers for some short lesson. A guest lecturer of sorts. Mirrors in our lives so we know ourselves better as a result of seeing their perspective or watching them go through something. The lesson is learned and the knowledge is retained. But the teacher doesn't come along for the long haul.
There are others who are like the stones in your pocket. Those who provide comfort like a worry stone. The ones who weather the storms with you, see you go off the deep end, but wait for you to come back. No matter how long it takes. With some of these friends, there will be a tug of war. You might need them more than they need you. Or vice versa.
Sometimes it's too much and you wish they hadn't created so much trouble. But they are always there as a different kind of teacher. And they may just save you from yourself. These are friends on a different wavelength. Maybe deeper, maybe just on a different frequency. They see you differently. You hear them differently. They become part of your soul.
And who knows, my departing friend may become one of these. I've been wrong before. But I love her for the lesson she taught me and send her off with hopes for a new path for herself. She deserves it.
