Bittersweet Plans

I haven't yet explained my best friends in this blog because 1. it's new ...and 2. it just hasn't been something I was ready to talk about. Let me start with this .... I have been blessed with the two most incredible best friends anyone could ask for. What is crazy in some respects is the fact they are both similar physically, but at the same time so very opposite in their general actions and emotions. Starting in some sort of sequential order of meeting - Sherm. I met Sherm in 2003 when I moved to Charleston, WV after my divorce. One random evening when my daughter (who at the time was barely 1 year old) was asleep I got online in a chat room I frequented. AOL Places : West Virginia. I randomly asked if someone would bring me cool ranch doritos, cigarettes and Mountain Dew Live Wire (Yes, dangerous it could have been). This one guy said he would. I gave him directions and low and behold he showed up 15 minutes later with everything I had asked for. I invited him in on the off chance that he was a decent human being, turns out I was right. We sat in my living room for several (and I stress the several in this case) hours talking about everything that had been going on in our lives. He was married and I was newly divorced. He had issues with his marriage and I still was struggling with the fact that my husband had walked out on our relationship not even 3 weeks prior. What I did not know at the time was that he was struggling with inner demons - a lot of them - and years later explained that had I not been there to stray him from anything he could do to get away from his life, then he certainly would not be here. This was just the beginning. Over the past 5 years Sherm and I have had fights, insanely crazy times, happy, peaceful moments. We've dated, broken up and tried dating again. We've been roommates, and more importantly best friends. We went through phases where we both decided to find other people to hang out with and that was cool...and worked for awhile. But in the end of everything we've gone through we ALWAYS come back to each other. We know together we could be great, but we both also know very well that too much togetherness is a very bad thing. I'm spoiled and stubborn and he's an ass. (He'll admit that - I'm not being rude.. promise). Overall, he's very much been my rock and an assisting mold to this new life I had to be accustomed to. I watched him go through a divorce like no other, the loss of his mother (which I related to and I love her so!), and he has helped me become a better person, parent, sister, daughter, granddaughter, friend. I was diagnosed with MS in 2006 and he was right there to take care of me when I wasn't able to work. When things were financially strapped for him, I helped and he did the same for me. It's how we work - it's what we do and not any of our other friends completely understand *us*. Sometimes we don't either but that really is what makes it great. Every moment is a learning adventure and its exciting (although as of late its been more spiritually uplifting than anything as he has recently introduced me to a new church). Overall, he deserves best friend status. Second of the two is Jennie. I met Jennie in 2004. I was dating a guy in Arizona named Scott and Jennie was Scotts ex girlfriend who I clicked with almost immediately. During and after that relationship Jennie was always there to offer advice. We ended up finding out so much about ourselves in this time. When I had issues in my life, I called her. I spent a month visiting back and forth to Arizona, had an incredible couple of weeks with her and decided we'd be good for a long time. When I returned to WV I called her every day. We talked for hours and hours, laughing, crying, updating. I went to see her again for Thanksgiving week one year and was welcomed with open arms by her family. She taught me a lot and we took an amazing trip to Flagstaff (and surrounding areas - Jerome, etc.) A couple years ago she came to WV to see me. She stayed for a week and even though in that time we had our first fight we learned more about eachother than we ever had thought possible. Jennie is the best person I have found who compliments my soul. When she's upset, I know and I call and we talk. She does the same for me. Our lives are constant chaos and quite similar in some respects. I offer advice, she offers advice and for simplicity sake - she is my best friend. Now the reason I mention these two tonight in a blog is that Sherm was offered a once in a lifetime chance to move from West Virginia (the sunken hole capital of the US) to Washington DC. Now, I think this is a wonderful opportunity for him and financially could set him on the right path and keep him there. I am both excited that he could accept the offer, and a bit sad. I know I'm being a bit selfish because I honestly do want him to do well - it just hurts that the possibility of losing my best friend. I lived in that area for a long time, it changes people. They're sometimes a bit fast paced, whereas West Virginia isn't so much. I'm afraid of losing him to this, but as stated, I want him to do it because I know potentially it could be great.. And so, I leave this blog for the evening, praying that God blesses him and for whatever path he chooses to take.