In a big, beautiful house 11,233 km from where we first met, my oldest and dearest friend signed a marriage contract in front of forty new family members who adoringly looked upon the newlyweds. 

Amidst the flurry of photo taking and well wishes, I flashed back to our first encounter at recess when I asked if we could hang out. Then to us joyfully and quite stupidly throwing ourselves down a grassy hill as a form of entertainment, swapping lunches in junior high – my Chinese food for Western ham and cheese sandwiches – hiking snowy mountains in Banff, kayaking in Interlaken and all the other countless adventures that have become 18 years of core memories.  

Those little girls who met on a playground became adults in the blink of an eye. 

I know I’m lucky. Everyone deserves a friend like Jo in their lives – someone who not only has watched their friend grow but has been a pivotal part of that growth. 

With each turning point life deals us – birthdays, engagements, baby showers, promotions, weddings, illnesses, accidents, deaths, etc. – the people who surround us during these times give them meaning.

Quality relationships make our lives rich, but like money – it takes work to acquire. 

Unseen and wedged in between the highlight reel of our friendship were also tense car rides in foreign countries as we learned to travel together, having uncomfortable conversations about money, bickering about right and wrong and stretches of time apart as we went off in search of our own identities with new people, new hobbies and new cities.

Our preferences for food, clothing, comforts evolved but we found our way back to one another with the intention to evolve together. 

Building a worthwhile “-ship” of any kind – relationship, friendship, partnership – takes effort and is a conscious choice, something we forget in an on-demand society that trains us to take the path with least resistance, usually a single click or swipe away.  

The best things in life are simple, but rarely are they free. 

I don’t know about you, but the return on my investments have so far been priceless.

Congratulations Jo, I’m so happy for you.

Love,

Cyn