Aloha

This morning I dragged myself to the park to do my first post-program jog. The Run Lola Run soundtrack my friend Jen gave me pushed me to plow on.

While I was jogging in circles, Jen sat at the airport waiting for her flight. As I type this, Jen is flying across the Pacific to Hawaii. She's leaving city life and heading for tropical life.

On Friday, Vivian and I spent a sweltering day in the city with Jen as she packed and organized for her move. It was a familiar kind of day, in that over the many years of our friendship, we have spent lots of days deliriously packing or doing projects, laughing til we cry and eating. (Always lots of yummy eating.)

On Friday, Jen said she could hardly remember life before Vivian. That Viv and I are so energetically linked that it's like she's always been with us. And I once again felt so blessed, because Jen just gets it.

So, yes, I'm going to miss my dear friend like mad. But my heart swells with pride for her: she's bravely creating a life for herself even though it's scary and unfamiliar and, as Jen says, a little bit crazy. I find that so inspiring.

I love that the word aloha has so many meanings: hello, goodbye, affection, love, peace, compassion and mercy. Because isn't that what friendship is all about? Hellos and Goodbyes and all the stuff in between that creates that golden connection that will one day lead to this scene I think about a lot: silver haired friends sipping lemonade in rocking chairs on a porch, talking about the good ol' days, still able to laugh til we cry.

We love you, Auntie JenJen. Aloha.