At one point, though, a good friend from the past asked, “Is everything OK between us?” I said yes, but I had a sinking feeling in my stomach. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
She went on to explain that when she visited me in college I acted very strangely, telling her I was miserable and that she needed to go stay somewhere else. I said to her, “I need to spend the weekend in bed.” She left, and we were never in close contact again.
I didn’t remember any of it.
I knew that this friend and I hadn’t seen each other in the intervening years, but I attributed it to time and space, not my mental health problems. Looking back at it, it was now easier to see what had really happened.
I’m lucky I got the chance to give my old friend a hug and explain to her that it really was me and not her. I told her about the creation of Beautiful Voyager. She said, “This all makes sense now.”
My high school reunion experience has me rethinking the loss of other friends over the years. What role did mental health play in these lost relationships? Did I shut other people away without knowing it?
I’m thankful I got a chance to make things right. I hope you get the same chance. Let’s support each other as we get stronger every day.
