Hold On

The other day I had dinner with some of my dearest friends.  It was the usual for us....wine, salad, whipped garlic and arabic bread, a healthy marinara dish.  We spoke of  jobs, relationships, diets.  Three of us got right into our usual analysis, the complexities of masculine versus feminine and the road to emasculation.  The other one of us who happens to embody  masculine made fun of us, playfully insulting our insight.

We bitched a little, ate a little,  laughed a little, drank a little, reflected a little.

Yes..it was an ordinary night of our usual loveliness.

and then.....

we shaved our friend's head.

Breast cancer. Aggressive. Chemotherapy. Hair falling out.

My dear friend took off her hat, exposing her patchy head. We marveled at her beauty..still present, even without her usual thick shiny head of hair.   We pulled a stool into the bathroom.  Our "masculine" friend decided to be the shaver. (We let her as we didn't want her to feel emasculated).  She lathered her head up and began, carefully, softly, lovingly shaving the remains of our friend's hair.

As we watched....and talked.....sharing stories and wine.

I deliberately slowed time in my mind......I allowed myself to take it all in... this significant and important moment.  I let my soul capture the experience which was overflowing with life and love and the connection of all beings.

Friendship...truth.....beauty.  I let my mind travel back in time, to when I first met my beautiful friend with her long hair, healthy lifestyle, and interesting viewpoints.  The past seems so innocent and vulnerable when seen from the future which is now the present that has brought with it life altering circumstances.

I took a mental snapshot of the scene that I was experiencing. I did not ever want to forget the image of my pretty friend....emitting more beauty and light in this tender occasion of complete exposure.  I did not ever want to forget the precious feeling of true friendship and love.........I breathed it in and absorbed as much of it as I could, filling my soul with strength and the knowledge that

there is nothing in this world that can break down the pure power, the rapture, the positive vibrations and beams of love that sparkle from our souls.

We are the lucky ones...no matter our life circumstances.

If we can just hold on...to the moments....and to each other.

and then we had dessert.