I need to switch gears for a minute...

and stop complaining about my Mother. Not to worry, I will get back to that subject (because there is still so much more to tell).

Right now though, I need to express my thoughts on an entirely different subject.

Picture it if you will. A small town in Alberta, Canada. Date, early 1970's. A young girl is in elementary school, when she notices another young girl, who is actually trying not to be noticed. Soon, the two become fast friends and even the teachers notice the difference in both girls. Sure, there are days when the one girl is not in school for whatever reason, it didn't matter then and it doesn't matter now. All that mattered was the girls knew that each would be there for the other, no matter what.

Come forward two years, the two girls were now in juinor high, facing the problems most teenagers face. Unbeknownst to anyone, not even the young girl who had befriended her, the other girl faced more than just the problems teenagers face. She was living in a nightmare at home as well. Then one day, when the two girls had plans to spend the day together (ironically, on a day their report cards were issued), the other girl realized what was going on, as the father of the young girl who missed school on different occasions sometimes for days at a time, saw the report card and for a split-second, his peaceful demeanor changed.

Now come forward 25 years. By this time, the two girls had lost touch. although one never stopped thinking about the other. And the picture has changed from a small town in Alberta, Canada to a larger one in British Columbia, Canada. Very early one morning one of the girls got a phone call, she had never stopped hoping for. It was the childhood friend, she cared so much about. And to the delight of both, the friendship resumed as though it had never been interrupted in the first place.

Yes that story was about me and a very dear friend. And the father who facade changed that fateful day. He had been physically abusing the daughter. Little did I know to what extent until I began reading some of her journal entries. I am choosing not to name the friend at this point, because she didn't know I was going to do this and I have always had a policy of not naming people by name without their permission.

I post this because I want the friend to know, how much she means to me and how much I wish I could have done more to help her during those 25 years we were apart.

As with my other posts, this too will be continued.

Happy Friday and I wish everyone a good weekend.