{Listen} to your heart

"Listen to your heart,

you will understand.

Let it break upon you

like a wave upon the sand."

                         -Disney

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     I once lost touch with a friend.. a best friend. We just drifted apart. I went years without ever finding out what happened.. and I missed her like crazy. (If I haven't already given it away, then I must say that I am a stubborn person. Hard-headed at times, I suppose.) So, I pushed my feelings away.. tucked them under the blanket of emotions, if you will. And I masked them with indifference.. as if losing her didn't bother me a bit. I made new friends, got married, had a baby.. I moved on. But, I often thought of her at every turning point in my life. I thought about what it would be like to have her there with me.. to share our lives together. 

     Then one day, while driving through the city, I stopped at a light.. and there she was.. just walking down the street. At the risk of sounding cliche, she felt so close.. but so far, far away. Was this fate? Nothing unusual, just an ordinary occurrence to run into someone from the past. But it sparked something inside me.. something too strong to be pushed away. There she was.. in the same city I was in.. living her life.. without me. Why was it again we weren't friends anymore, I wondered? The excuses didn't seem to work anymore. It was clear to me that all of those false feelings were well, never real. I missed her, and I couldn't just try to forget about her.. again. 

     Do I dare reach out to her? I must admit, this thought was absolutely terrifying to me.. She must certainly hate me and want nothing to do with me. I was sure of it. But, here's the thing.. What was the worst that could happen? That I would get rejected? That she wouldn't want to be friends with me? Well, I already wasn't friends with her. So, what was more important? Her? Or my ego? I suddenly knew the answer and felt so foolish for not realizing it sooner. I let this continue for far too long. 

     So, after graciously putting my ego aside, I contacted her.. and I bet you're wondering how this story ends..Well, I'm pleased to say it has a happy ending :)

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I shared this story in hopes of inspiring someone. If there is anyone that you wish was in your life, whether it be an old friend or a potential new friend, I urge you to ask yourself a question; Does this person, or the hopes of what this person could be, mean more than the fear of rejection? I understand that not every story has a happy ending, but I decided that I was better off being rejected than living the rest of my life wondering what could have been. Sometimes things fall into place; fate determines our lives.. and sometimes, if you really want something you have to go out there and get it yourself. Because sometimes, happy endings can become very. happy. beginnings.