Roses

I have a friend. She and I have been friends for just about a year or so--maybe not even that long. We met at the daycare when she asked me one day "Do you work at ...?" Turns out, not only work at the same company, but we sat just across the hall from each other--and didn't even realize it. We started emailing and then we decided to start meeting at the gym on Wednesday mornings to work out.

Neither of us were fans of working out (especially at 5am) but we both needed to go and Wednesday morning was our time to meet and work out. Knowing she would be expecting me to be there made me get out of bed at 4:30am to meet her. We did that for a few months and it was great.

Then things happened and she couldn't meet me anymore on Wednesday mornings.

My friend was hurting and she was dealing with circumstances far beyond anything that I could possibly imagine. I tried to be a good friend and I listened to her, escaped down to Caribou at our office with her when things got to be too much, hugged her when she was about to collapse with despair, and tried to make her smile when she just couldn't stand another minute of it. Slowly and tenuously, she started to regain her footing. She was going to be fine.

And then, just before Christmas, she lost her job. As her friend, I was heartbroken. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs "WHY HER?". I knew our company was downsizing and I knew it would be affecting her area. But still. Why her?

She was determined to survive this. No--do better. Get better. She didn't have time to wallow or slip under the covers for a few days (I TOTALLY WOULD DO THIS). She got right on setting up meetings, interviews, resume sessions, you name it.

She was going to be fine.

Tomorrow, my friend starts a new chapter in her life. One that I know will be challenging but oh so rewarding. She won't be working with me anymore and I am sad that I won't be able to pop over to her cube to chat whenever I feel like it. But, I am proud of her because she went after it and she got it. She and her son and daughter have been through a lot these last few months, but I see nothing but sunshine ahead because their mom is an amazing woman with a heart of gold and a will of steel.

Nothing will stop her.

Here's to you, my friend.