Weird Week

It has been an incredibly strange week.



First, I had the most bizarre Facebook encounter. You see, there is this boy, Chris, who I have known for 14 years. We both were the new students who arrived, awkwardly and shyly, at a new school during 7th grade. Well, that same year, his mother passed away from cancer. He was told in the hallway during class. It hit me hard. It was the first time it ever occurred to me that parents are not immortal. The solemn and ashen look on his face when he walked back into the classroom ten minutes later still haunts me to this day. Every single time I hear about a kid losing their mom or dad to a disease, I vividly remember Chris walking back into English class.

Well, throughout middle school and high school, Chris and I never spoke a word to each other. We sat next to each other in most of our classes because of the proximity of our last names in the alphabet. After graduation, he actually became extremely close friends of a girl I used to be extremely close friends with. They even moved to New Zealand together for a few years. When he returned in 2005, we became Facebook friends but never spoke on there either. Then, two days ago, for the first time EVER, we randomly started speaking to each other on Facebook. I discovered he was now a newspaper journalist, like me, but living in Colorado. He is a snowboarding champion. He has gained a really positive and spiritual outlook on life in the past 14 years. It made me sad I never really got to know him all those years ago.

Strange, isn’t it, how Facebook is making such an impact on our lives?



Then this week, another unusual occurrence shook me. I went to hang out with a close friend of mine, only to realize he was sober. I have not seen this guy sober in more than two years. Every time we hang out (which is a LOT), he is always already drunk or already stoned. Speaking to him, lucid, was a reality check. I was shocked to remember how intelligent and witty he is. I was instantly reminded of why we became friends in the first place. It was the most pleasant, but heartbreaking, experience.



And finally, the saddest and strangest thing that happened this week was the passing of my sister’s grandmother. You all might remember my sister, Jenn. I was in her wedding in November. I talked to her grandmother for a very long time at the reception and she seemed perfectly fine. She was young for her age, very sharp, and an absolute delight. I have always loved Jenn’s grandmother. I've known her since I was a kid. Apparently, she fell asleep this week and never woke up. Poor Jenn is absolutely heartbroken and shaken. So am I. It just came out of nowhere! So, please keep Jenn and her family in your thoughts and prayers, if you can.

So, that has been my week…I hope you have a good start to your weekend.


PS. I decided to give twitter another try. If you’re into that sort of thing, hit me up at @jenniferb02.