Learned

You can teach someone,
You can't change someone.

One does that for one's self.

Unknowingly Blessed

I first noticed her as the girl with angelic hair.

The way it curled, glowed, and framed her face.

Beauty.

She looked at me with a gaze full of peace,

Silently contemplating a verbal exchange.

And then it came…

"Hi."

One small word.

Mind contemplating neurons firing, lips moving, air vibrating, ears retrieving, message delivering, understood.

Hi.

That word changed it all.

Hours of sleep were lost, as precious hours of friendship were gained.

The night was filled with stories shared and laughter that bound us.

The ability to stay in her presence and float on her words,

As our stranger status almost immediately turned into friends.

With the following years behind us,

We were given the rare opportunity to be much more.

With deep anticipation and short calls we looked forward to summer.

Months turned to weeks, weeks into days, and then there we were.

Over the bridge, into the lot, I saw her come.

And again,

'Hi."

This simple word came to mean more than ever spoken between us before.

The simple act of hi would never again mean the same.

We were bound together in His great love,

Sharing unbelievable highs and indescribable lows.

We had the rare ability to be completely free for a summer.

No ties.

Free to dance, laugh, sing, stargaze, feel the sun and fully acknowledge its presence.

We were free to cry without judgment.

Completely. Free.

We were two hearts made of a similar mold, brought together for a summer.

There could have never been enough days for me to completely understand the gift He gave me by sending her to camp.

Her presence fills me with joy, her laughter is music to my ears. She makes me completely comforted and content while filling my life with sincere humor.

I could have never done it without her.

While she was there for campers and Him,

Her biggest impact was the one she left with me.

She branded me with friendship and scarred me with love.