I sat in shock for a few minutes more in her company and cruelty, until I could walk away. Yesterday, I learned Dave died. Today, her verbal punch hit hard, and my will to live bled into soul bruises.
I was feeling lost, loveless, and unloveable. I was an inmate, a widow, a bad person.
I found my way to the Firehouse's bookshelf, tracing my fingers over their stories, half-heartedly rearranging and examining. A stack of small Reader's Digests fell over, and one opened. A name on the page caught my eye, it was a quote from Nate Bagley.
Dave and I met Nate years ago. We spoke on webcam and talked about true love, dreams, and the beauty of human connection. I made a few little graphics for him, one in particular stating- I am creating my future.
Before sending to Nate, I asked Dave if the graphic should include the word love somehow. His answer was quick- "No. It's obvious. If you're creating a future, you ditch the jerks, and terrible memories, and keep the love. No matter what."
My emptiness was filled with memories of Nate's hope and Dave's certainty. I closed my heart to unkind words. I closed the book, and thought about the new one I'd be opening soon.
No matter what, love carries forward and you build on it.
It's obvious.
___________________
A true story, and an example of a Sonder File. Lives intersect in strange ways, and some people are just supposed to find their way into your story.
I'm collecting tales where the peripheral of me snuck its way into someone else's story. You can read more about what that means by visiting my early morning post here.
Do you know Nate? If not, stop by his world and say hey. Or at least check out his recent TedX talk: