Hump Day

I recently reconnected with a couple of friends after several years of distance. We have all changed and experienced different worlds but we've come together as new people with the ease of old friendship. There's been no awkward filler conversation--we just jump right in as if the years didn't happen. These are the best kinds of friendship--unaffected by time. And these women amaze me. Tana is beautiful and comes across as soft-spoken, but she has an unassuming fierceness about her. She's a fighter for justice and for figuring out how best to live her life. And Amy with her striking, searching eyes. I've known her my whole life and to see her now--her calm strength, her wisdom, and to know what she has overcome to be who she is now gives me pride. What is telling about both of these women is their refusal to be complacent with the way things are or with what society deems as appropriate. I met with Amy yesterday and we were talking about our high school time, the time when we grew apart. I hated high school. For me they were dark, confusing times. Those were hard years and I was miserable. But I told her of course I wouldn't change anything, and that when I find myself in dark and lonely times I own it. I let myself feel it fully because I know it won't last forever and it can only bring me closer to understanding myself and providing empathy for others. I don't invite it, but I embrace it for what it could mean. That's probably why Wednesday is my favorite day of the week. I think I have an affinity for this day because it represents what is ahead and what is behind, here in this moment.