Soul Food

There are times in your life when the most therapeutic medicine you can receive is
a weekend with your best friend: a sister soul who drops everything in her busy life, puts
her own family aside, and flies across the country because she knows how much you need
a break from the everyday even when you insist that you are fine.  She carries with her
a servant heart and an accepting spirit, listening to all your war stories and comforting
you by sharing her own.  She can make you laugh and drop all your insecurities, boost
your spirit with an afternoon beer and a long bike ride.  Having this kind of friend in
your home makes you realize how heavy your load has been as she lifts off each layer one
by one, lightening your burden and allowing your free spirit to resurface.  She hugs you
close even as you try to pull away, remembering how tightly you used to hug her before
all the trauma made you fragile and guarded.  She brings that out in you: the before.  But
she also embraces the new, understanding that though you are a little more broken that
the last time she saw you, you are still Liv.  That's the beautiful thing about a friend
like Charlie: she knows you inside and out, believes in you, supports you, trusts you, and
is always there for you.  And you are the same for her.  

Thank you for the most soul sister rejuvenating weekend, my dear Charlie.  May we
always remember to separate the truths from the blow hards, to be grateful that we
woke the fuck up, and that we continue to do whatever the fuck it takes.