I know We don’t talk much.

It’s crazy to think how you could get so close to someone in such a short time, in such an unanticipated moment in time, in such a mysterious manner...

When I think about it, which I do quite often, I’m amazed on how it even developed: Two completely different individuals coming together and just casually talking about work. Fast forward a few weeks, the casual talks turn into jokes and common interests. Fast forward a few months, everyday talks were now lengthy conversations of personal aspirations and struggles. I have always been an introvert, with a heavy reservation when it came to opening up to people. Believe it or not, you helped me become a more open person. I learned there were good people in the world, especially in the work place. More than that, I learned there were trustworthy people that were trying to make a legitimate difference. I saw it in your work ethic, the way you talked about your friends and close ones, and even from the volunteer work that you lightly mentioned here and there. I learned a lot from you, and I still do even though I don’t talk to you that much.

I know we don’t talk much. But when we do, I’m thankful. When you decided to leave work, I tried my best to hide my true feelings of dread and sorrow. Most of the time, I would just make a poorly designed joke or give off a masked laugh with a loose smile to show that I wasn’t thinking about it much. I knew things were going to change. But I’m glad you made the change. Your decision to leave made me realize the inconsistencies in my goals, my acceptance of comfort, and my tendency to shroud my true feelings and thoughts because I was afraid to let them loose. Your exit challenged me. Your disappearance taught me. Your random messages and texts encouraged me. And for that, I am beyond thankful. To say I respect you is an understatement. I never got the chance to tell you before you left — but hopefully one day I will. Just to let you know that you made an impact on my life. Sometimes, we need to hear that from people.

I know we don’t talk much. But there’s a reason for it. I knew you had to leave on the whim like that in order to move forward. You had goals, and I knew you needed a clean slate to work off of. When you left, I wanted to keep my distance only because I didn’t want to be a stumbling block — I wanted to be a stepping stone. I figured it would be good for there to be a break — a break from everything in the world that you left. I didn’t want to bother you, or inhibit your focus. You had things to do, and I just wanted to respect that. True friendship allows growth, which requires space to breathe and branch out. And if you care about someone, you have to give them that space to breathe and grow. Otherwise, you endanger them by binding them to a stagnant life.

I know we don’t talk much. But when we do, I’m glad. To know that a friendship can survive the test of time- that not everything fades to Father Time- is more than good enough for me. To know that we can pick up where we left off, without feeling the need to be formal gives me a sense of joy that I can’t even express. To know that although you have changed, you’re still the same person that I once knew. To know that we don’t have to talk all the time or even every “X” amount of months simply attests to our friendship. True friendship isn’t partial to any of that. I may have lost a best friend at work, but I realized that I don’t need a best friend at work. Coworkers come and go with the seasons.

I’m just glad I can consider you a life-long my close and best friend.