Titanic friendships

Goodnight everyone! I hope you have had a beautiful day. Today I must admit I was frustrated and disappointed by a situation where I find myself compromising my value for something I’m passionate about; a difficult thing between a rock and a hard place, currently. It’s not sustainable in its present form, but nothing stays the same and something will change. Life presents us with challenges, which we can view as opportunities to learn about ourselves and others; sometimes disappointing, usually necessary, ultimately valuable realisations. Whatever the eventual outcome, growth and understanding will occur, and this is the silver lining I am currently seeking.

I got caught in the rush hour crush on the tube home, delays kept the train stuck in the tunnels, and as I tried to consume as little space as possible, squashed somewhere between someone’s elbow and another’s shoulder blades, the metaphor was not lost on me. Then somewhere from out of the blue a charming gentleman emerged to insist I take his seat, he was kind and courteous, with a chivalry that is as enchanting as it is rare, without presumption or expectation just perfectly delightful. Thank you kind stranger for making my day that bit sweeter with your thoughtful generosity.

I raced home to meet my dear friend C for supper, she’s about to go on tour with a band she’s been dancing for, for 16 years; she’s famous in Germany and Switzerland, yet remains pleasantly anonymous in the UK, despite her superstar qualities, seriously she’s a legend and a darling friend. We popped round the corner for sushi, where the young waiter fell quickly into our routine, treating us like princesses despite (or because of?) my honesty gene telling him I’d had a dreadful day and needed handling carefully. Of course we were spoilt rotten, and we laughed raucously dispelling any tension that might have contemplated settling on my shoulders in lesser company. C and I have been friends for over a decade, and share many silly stories from modeling days, and other ridiculousness, and she knows exactly what really matters and what doesn’t, without necessitation of description. Some friends just understand instinctively, a cherished gift indeed. C has some good news, but it’s also complicated, and we giggled like teenagers about complications of the past and how they worked out, and the reflection gives me a fresh perspective as we regale each other with memories, causing cascades of tears to accompany eruptions of laughter, really life is totally ridiculous, and moments pass eventually!

We bid farewell to our gallant waiter, an absolute sweetie and returned home for tea on the awesome sofas. We demurely sipped our fennel infusions, recalling an epic night spent in situ years ago, involving too much champagne and dancing, some incoherent, miss spelt text messages, and a simple night we won’t forget for all the right reasons. Some friendships are like battle ships in stormy weather, and pleasure cruises for hedonists on calmer seas, this is one of those impressive vessels for love and laughter, compassion and understanding. We added a few more chapters to our stories as we caught up on news and relationships, whatever happens we’ll check in on each other and laugh again at memories of this evening. As she left to finish packing for her trip, I’m immensely grateful for the people in my life who have been there to steer me through the icebergs of disappointments, and continue to guide me with authentic love beyond titanic proportions, as we all float on a sea of uncertainty. The journey of life should be measured by companions rather than distance, and I am very, very blessed. Wishing you all sweet dreams, and wonderful souls to share the adventures with, much love & blessings, Hxx

{Photo sadly uncredited, words ~Hayley Darby 19.April.2012}