The quest for reasons to stay probably seriously started when I met this person, Lisa. (Time-wise). Bestie, sister I never had in my life. Family always gave me reasons to stay growing up. Love from Ken came around 5 years ago. So, from early 20’s.. “I have relied on the kindness of strangers.” as Blanche would say in “a Street Car Named Desire” This one stranger, literally knocked on my door… with her roommate in 2004 at Rutgers University. Then she invited me to dinning halls, basement baking time, visiting the show I was working on (ALONE)… Then rest is history of beautiful friendship that became one of the reasons to stay for me.
Here is a beautiful story of friendship between Lisa and I!
How I met Lisa..
I transferred to Rutgers University, New Brunswick- Rutgers College, from Bergen Community College in 2004. I think it was my first day.. someone knocked at my door. I was on the 4th floor… so Lisa would have had to hiked up from ground level! There was Lisa, this Blonde hair with Blue eyes and her roommate Sophia who was so opposite of Lisa standing at my doorway. Lisa took the lead on saying hi and invited me to the dinning hall for meals. That’s how we met. Then couple of days later, Lisa told me she’s baking and she led me to this basement of our dorm!! I was wondering how are we baking in this dorm!! She showed me the simple way of using Philsbury dough and bake cookies. THEN ALL of sudden… she hugged me from the back!!! Yeah tight but cuddly!! yeah.. I was never the hug type or never really hug people. Well.. she genuinely seemed to like me and welcome me! so we hung out every chance we got since then.
She is the Reasons to Stay for me….
Over the years since 2004 September when she knocked on my door, Lisa has done so many things that no other friends have never done for me without me asking. Each time she did, it reminded me of how we met and she is the only and first one that I didn’t go out of my way to introduce myself! 21 years leading up to that point, I always had to be the one to start the small talk and introduce myself. She took the effort take steps- LITERALLY and wanted to be my friend.
Following year, 2005 we became roommate. This is where my craziness started… my depression while going through marriage that i committed myself to during the summer of 2005 and Brain Tumor diagnosis… All I knew how to handle these were just adding more work- academics- double majors in Theatre and Music and then minor in French. Literally 7am-9pm classes… then I ceased.. in a way where my alarm would just keep ring and Lisa would have to turn it off for me… Me screaming so hard at smallest thing of frustration that scared Lisa to the core. Lisa would tell me things straight up when it needs to be but it wasn’t like the way my mother used to say… it was still gentle and sincere.
I moved out December of 2005 to local area and took time off from Rutgers after Fall Semester being disastrous academically and mentally pretty bad. Needing better health insurance. She did tell me she missed this crazy friend even when she could use her room by herself… then she got a new roommate she said she really missed me.. HOW I don’t know.
Lisa graduated Rutgers, I moved to Delaware to join my family’s move from Korea needing time off from New Jersey.. Lisa still kept in touch with me invited me to her family events and her life events. Her graduation Party to start with!
2008 I decided return to Rutgers and finish the degree.. Some point perhaps it’s around 2009… I completely lost contact with Lisa.. fewer calls then it all stopped suddenly. I truly felt bad and sad. It might have been too good to be true for a friend like her to come in and then just stay…
Then 2010 around my birthday! She texted me. and called me!! I was sooooooo happy. I profusely apologized… she stopped me saying it was her.. she need her own time. She also asked me to be in her Wedding! So our journey continued! Wherever I was she visited me. I visited her, too.
Through her wedding, first child, second child we continued. Even the sad time- Her grandmother’s funeral, I just showed up. She didn’t know I’d be there.
I can write on and on about our stories.
October 2018 toughest time, I lost 30 pounds and I kept saying I wanted to go.. She picked the Sunday… (the next day) to visit me to have breakfast. She gave me this mantra bracelet, as she was saying…” I got this for you because I wanted to help but if you think that it’s belittling you or stupid…no worries, I will take it back. but I just wanted to give you something…”
be you, love you, all ways, always
She knew exactly how I would react or think but she prepared something for me. IT was so perfect just ALL of the way.. Depicted the friendship we have..
She left at the door saying, ” I need you… I want you stay… Lucy, (her daughter) needs her Aunt Sarah- I wouldn’t know what to tell her…… I will see you next weekend? I love you! “
Lisa is Simply Bestie, Reasons to Stay on this earth <3
Thank you and I love you, Lisa!
Simply Sarah
0 Comments