"Tell Someone Else Story..."

"Tell Someone Else Story"

Her name was Susan, my college best friend and continued to be my best friend till we each got married and reconnected here in the U.S. I married a Puerto Rican and the marriage lasted for 15 years and she married a white guy and their marriage lasted a year. I got two wonderful sons; Susan had none. She lived more than twenty-five years in New York till she passed away in 2012.
We saw each other three times while we were living in New Jersey. We went to see her in Queens, New York a few times and she and a friend came down to see us in New Jersey.
Whenever we're together, we didn't reminisce the good times in our college years. We just talked
like old buddies and just that. I guessed the duration of time that we were apart has changed us.
She can't relate to me as a mother of two boys and I can't connect with her lifestyle which is the single life. And that was foreign to me...
We were inseparable when we were in college. We loved the outdoors. We used to go to Burnham Park together and sometimes with a few of my dormmates and just had picnics. We walked so many miles in those years that I still have my callouses in my feet as of that remembrance. Her family had a small store that sells fruits and vegetables and we got to help sell them and at the same time hit our books
to study. We were both competitive academically but not to each other. It was ridiculously fun to be in the University G-Clef singing choir where we got to perform in big hotels in the area and to other
venues. We were also a part of the University Women's Bowling Tournament, the Debate and Drama Teams. You guys may be wondering how we were able to excel in most areas
of our college life.
Susan was a woman of so many special giftings. She was very intuitive, a very good listener,
kind, beautiful, genuine, confident and with a mighty sense of humor. She stood her ground.
She was very articulate in explaining things. Unlike me, I try "to go around the bush"
as much as I can just to avoid being called blunt and adamant. I do "sugar coat" a lot of my
verbal expressions jus not to hurt somebody else's feelings. But in doing so, I ended up hurting myself
because not being truthful or honest with how you really feel, you become the victim of your own losses. Susan perceived that as naivete on my part. She actually admires that in me for not being exposed to the hard realities of life.
I still miss her so much. Not being there with her when she was terminally ill had put a dent
in my heart. She never told me. Didn't want me to worry. Or perhaps, she wanted me to always have a strong, healthy, brilliant, beautiful and sweet image of her to stay in my heart...
I have never thought that she will be gone before me. She was a picture of good health,
inside and out. She was and still is my best friend to date... Our memories as best friends filled up my reservoir. I do think and reminisce how she touched my life incredibly.