Friends

Have you ever watched Strangers, Again by the Wong Fu Productions?

Of course you have. It's so simple, so painfully poignant.

It is one of the stories in my life. Two strangers meeting and they find something special, someone to believe 

in. Someone with whom forever may not be long enough.

The short walks you through the stages in a relationship; from strangers to friends, to the passionate going out stage, to the sadly inevitable comfortable (read neglect) stage, and then, finally, to a parting of paths.

Strangers to friends to something much more to an abruptly strangers, again.

I don't disagree with this. The video is so relatable because so many of us have gone through something similar.

It reminds me of Barney's 'Don't poop where you eat' theory, aka the Platinum Rule, otherwise known as the never-love-thy-neighbour paradigm.

He lays out the stages as Attraction-Bargaining-Submission-Perks-Tipping Point-Purgatory-Confrontation-Fallout. Ted then adds another stage, Coexistence.

I think Ted is partially right, and so were the guys at WFP.

I'd like to change that last stage, to more than just coexistence. Let's call that that stage Friendship, a stage that comes with much time, and much patience.

Because to be any less than that would signify some degree of unforgiveness, of not letting go.

You don't have to be strangers, again, or to merely acknowledge the other's existence.

Friendship is possible, but it requires both to be mature, to acknowledge that the past did happen, to be honest that there was pain, but there was also love, and above all of it, the love you shared was real.

I can honestly say I am a better person today, because the people in my past chose to forgive me and to look above my failings.

Maybe, we need to change the perception to Friends, Again.

Running

I asked a friend to describe me, to be as brutal and honest as she possibly could.

She said a few things, but the one that struck me the most is that I am a runner. I run away.

I wanted to tell her, she's wrong, that I fight if I need to want to, but the truth is, she's right. I run. Away. From a situation that I dislike, from my past, and in doing so, inadvertently I shape a future from which I want to run.

And it goes on and on; a sick-cycle carousel.

Where can you run to escape from yourself?

I received a package today. It was a reminder of the past, of a girl that I really, really wronged.  I have been running from it, without meaning to. We were good friends, and I cut her from my life.

Without going to much into it, I was expecting old letters, and reminders of a failure - not that our relationship was a failure, but that I was. Tears. Recrimination.

But there was nothing like that. It was a new letter as well as a present for my birthday, and in between them, forgiveness and love.

I don't know what to say - and speechlessness doesn't afflict me often, but.. I am just so overwhelmed right now.

And even more than that, I feel God telling me, "You don't have to run. You don't have to beat yourself up. There are people I have put in your life that loves you, that care, that will make you better if you allow them. Open up to them."

I ran away, and yet, here is grace. Grace to make it right. Grace, undeserved, unasked, and yet, so overwhelming.

Where can you run to escape from yourself?

Nowhere. Or rather, nowhere that matters.

But the carousel doesn't have to go around again. You can stop running. You can be better.

I can be better.