Haven’t heard from Gill in a while, but she wrote in yesterday, which happened to be her 40th birthday. Turns out it’s also right around the 40th birthday of a friend of hers, and she wrote this about the very different lives they’ve lived. All of the happy birthdays and well wishes from us here, guys.
In the fall of 1979, two lives began four days apart at opposite ends of the world. One life began as the child of parents who had prayed and wished for a child. Ten years following their wedding the baby’s first cries would resound in a small town hospital. The other life began four days later in a country torn by war, and a baby boy would know a far different life.
Early Life
The girl spent her first years living on a farm and would be joined by a sister less than two years later. When the boy was just under a month old, a bomb would fall on the family’s makeshift home injuring him severely. The girl and her family would frequently make trips to the city to go to doctor’s appointments and tests. The boy would struggle to survive, even having his Last Rights read to him.
School Years and Other life business
In 1983 the boy and his family fled their war ravaged lives in Southeast Asia for the tranquility and confusion of their new lives in Canada. The boy learned English from the TV shows of the time, and soon went to school. The girl took gymnastics, ballet, and skating lessons alongside the neighborhood kids. She started at the neighborhood school and made friends.
Grown Up
Both the girl’s and boy’s lives plotted different courses. The boy and his family moved to the suburbs, and the girl battled depression. The girl and boy, now a man and a woman, met while hoping for employment but getting the short straws.
Now
It’s been 12 years since the man and woman became friends. The man had multiple procedures, and the woman moved a few times.
Who am I talking about?
Well, in case you’re curious, the guy is my friend Jeff. He’s going through some tough medical stuff right now, but somehow the strength that brought his family from The Killing Fields of Cambodia to suburbia keeps him stronger than I could ever claim myself to be. The girl, well, that’s me, and I’d like to thank you all for reading this.