I received this in the mail the other day - a custom made necklace from a lady in Washington. It had a note that said it was from a dear friend of mine and had been made for me with love.
I think sometimes in life, someone special enters your life for one reason or another and they leave their mark forever. It might not happen often (if just once, you're blessed) and the answer to "why" this person was put in your life may never be known, but you know when it happens, and know enough to not ask they "why" - it doesn't matter.
When I found out that I was on Team Trakkers, I was super excited for many reasons - I'm on a kick butt team, with 41 teammates, awesome sponsors, great races. But never in a million years did I think that I would meet some of the best friends that I could have ever imagined.
And one of them in particular has already left her mark...
She and I clicked from the start. Conversation came easy and our goals were so similar. We emailed a lot about uniform sizes, bike sizes, which shoes we both were going to order - I swear we were the same on everything. Soon we exchanged phone numbers so that we could talk for 45 minutes at a time about the season, the team, again our goals, etc. But then those conversations grew, not only in duration, but also in content - I got to know more about her life, her family, her career, her dreams. And she got to know more about mine. She lives 500 miles away, but we have always been just a phone call away.
We finally met in Knoxville. It was our first race together. I could pick her out of a crowd. We hugged like we had known each other for years and were reuniting after a long break. We carried on as if we had been part of each others lives for decades... when in fact it had only been months. Our husbands, God bless them, just shook their heads. I know they were both thinking "oh boy... here's trouble".
People said we looked alike. We got more "are you twins" and "are you sisters" questions in Knoxville than we could have imagined. We even had teammates yelling my name as she ran by, thinking they were yelling for me. Maybe we really were separated at birth like I always joked. I mean, her love for buckeye bars, the white gummy bears and baked cheetos was enough to convince me that we share the same brain cells!
This person, who I met via email a mere 7 months ago, has come into my life, touched my heart, and taught me so much. Through her, I've learned that under no circumstance should there be judgements in friendship. Jealousy and competitiveness aren't words that would ever cross my mind when thinking about her. Support is a given, not a hope. Laughing should be part of every conversation and the term "I love you" isn't for people who have known each other "x" number of years. I can have a bad day and she senses it. She needs someone to talk to, I sense it. I feel like we've been through so much together... albeit 500 miles apart.
She gets me. I get her. And I'll forever be thankful that that special someone has entered my life, leaving her mark.
And if she reads this (which I'm sure she will) I hope she knows how lucky I am to have her in my life, and to call her my friend. I'll never ask "why", because it really doesn't matter...
