I don’t really know where to begin this blog. Today was a wonderful day. I spent it at my Mom’s house. I woke up late – a bit of the blessing of vacation. Both kids slept longer than I did – also a blessing.

Today’s real surprise was having lunch with a person who was more than a friend – an intimate part of my past. M was a girl that I met in the late 70’s – about 25 years ago. When I met her, I didn’t even begin to know what an important part in life she would play. I both grew the most, and hurt the most in that two year period of my life. The bounds of my “goodie two shoes” life was lifted as I got to experience both the “other side of the tracks” and true love for the first time.

M came from a different life. Her father died when she was quite young – close to five, I think. Her mom remarried a few years later – but to the biggest jerk you could imagine. M was subject to, among other things, psychological abuse for years at the hands of her stepfather. What a glorious victory I saw her gain over him in the years that I knew her growing up.

In the time I spent with M in the late 70’s, I got to know the true definition of a strong woman. She was definitely an oldest child – and a sort of second mother to all of her siblings during that difficult time. Never has she blamed her mother for any problems – they just were part of her life. M was rebellious, to say the least, but never to someone that she respected. She knew that there were some people trying to do the best for her – just that it wasn’t always in their control or within their ability to carry it out.

Today, I got to retrieve a piece of my heart that was missing.

I have such strong memories of that time – very good and very bad. At the time I met M, my heart had never felt so much joy. I never before felt such completeness in my life, so much that two people could really become one. All of the sappy cards for couples that I had seen in the Hallmark store were just bull until I met M. I was finally complete – at least at that time in my life. I had finally met my soul mate.

Memories that make me smile…

– Backing her car out of her parent’s driveway with her recovering from her appendectomy

– Driving west on the turnpike – trying to figure out how far we could drive without getting caught; knowing we would have to turn around

– Skipping school (her) and work (me) to just spend the day together – and answering the phone when her stepfather called

– The long, sleepy drives from my college to hers

– The smile that lasted me until I saw her again

As we grew together, we also grew up. There was the reality of life, such as college, where we couldn’t be together every waking day. We had considered marriage a few times, but knew that we were just asking for disaster. Neither of us wanted that for what was so perfect.

Time and distance finally separated us – but only through a bitter battle that I believe neither of us wanted. It was necessary, but oh, so painful. The words said at the steps to the home of a mutual friend burned in my ears and damaged my heart. Out of the 50 million or so words I had heard and all of the experiences I had before I was 25, this was the only conversation for which I could remember every word. The hurt was with me for years. Breaking up is hard to do – what a gross understatement. The woman I had given half my soul to was gone…

And we lost touch…

And I always wondered what happened to M…

And years went on, my life changed. I met my new best friend – and future wife – and future mother of my children; the woman who I would love exclusively – forever. The woman who I married and have been completely in love with for almost 20 years. The one who shares my hopes and dreams.

And I always wondered what happened to M.

Did I want to ever have M get in the way of my wife and my life? Never.

Did I ever wonder how M was? Always.

Why, when I was happily married to a woman I am absolutely crazy about?

Curiosity? Sure.

Romantic? Funny, but no – not at all. Then it hit me…

M was, above everything else, the best friend I had ever had at that point in my life. I had never had anyone who I could tell everything to, who I could confide in, who I could completely trust my life with. Who was so much a part of me that you couldn’t tell where I stopped and she started. I was missing a part of who I was and what made me be me.

So, I tracked M down.

It took a while, and I got a bit lucky.

And, about a year ago, I tracked down an email address. And I wrote…

Dear M,

How are you…

And M replied,

Fine, how are you…

So much to say – but no idea how…

We exchanged a few emails. M was back in the same general area where she grew up – a distance from where I was. A couple of marriages, a couple of children, and she had relocated. She was in a committed relationship – good since I didn’t want the wrong idea from anyone, including her.

It wasn’t about romance – it was about the time in my life where she was such a huge part. A part of me.

Months went by – nothing but a few emails and a single, long phone call.

Then came today – where I got to see her for the first time in almost 25 years.

I let her know I was coming to town – and wanted to see if we could get together. It might be awkward for the kids (both sets), but that didn’t really come into play. I wanted a chance to catch up with M – just the two of us.

We got that chance today. My stomach was jumping through hoops today – not knowing what to expect. I was so excited to see her but didn’t quite know what to expect.

I wasn’t sure I was willing to take my heart and my soul back to the place where she had once hurt me; where she had once so loved me… where I had once so loved her…

“I am so glad our paths crossed this time today…” (Dave Matthews Band)

When I first saw her car – I knew instantly it was M. Not by the car – but my heart. My friend and I were to be reunited.

The reunion was more special than I could have imagined. I was instantly transported back in time to the happy times. The sadness was forever gone in my memory. I was once again able to only remember the happy times that had been shared with M – and the memories that helped to make me what I am today.

We talked of happy times, not sad ones. The talk was about our friendship, our families, our children. There was nothing sad about it at all.

The friend that had once been half of who made me was a smiling, real person – not a painful memory.

No longer would I have the emotional pain as a finally memory of our time together on the earth. Happiness marred by the simple relationship transactions that make up part of every life.

Tonight, I will go to bed with a smile on my face knowing what a difference my friend had made in my life and what a difference I had in hers.

Sleep well, M. Sleep well, friend.