Thahabu

The other day I was feeling very anxious so I decided to email my friend Ashley. Ashley left for a missionary trip for 18 months, a few weeks before my winter break ended. She emails me, and the rest of her loved ones, once a week, but I haven’t been writing back because I miss her so much, and wouldn’t want to put a damper on her mood with a sad email. However, on Saturday, I realized that my feelings about her absence weren’t so raw anymore. I told her how I proud I was of her, that going across the country for practically two years was one of the biggest and best decisions I think she could’ve made.

I mostly miss our laughter. I remember the night before she left: All of our friends crowded in her dining room like old times. We snapped polaroids and recalled all her embarrassing moments. All we could do was laugh until it was time to say goodbye—it was a bittersweet moment. I don’t think I’ve laughed like that since then, and I don’t say that with sadness. That happiness is something specific to our friendship. We’ll pick up where we left off when she comes back. ♦