Making Friends

Dan and I have a knack for making friends everywhere we go. I am being serious when I say this. We are always striking up conversations with people we meet in the grocery store, the automotive shop, the bank, etc. But more than that we have a gift of befriending our neighbors. I don't know why this is. And I can honestly say neither of us are weirdos, we are just genuinely nice and friendly people, and I think people can read that about you if you give off those vibes. I am a great believer in the vibes people send off and how others read them.

The first neighbor we became super close with was Danie, who is now my bestfriend. That was just a little over three years ago. This past summer we made another great friend. She started off as a neighbor, but has now become a wonderful friend to the both of us, but especially to me. Our neighbor Shakela is just wonderful. She is generous, funny, and a miraculous cook (whom invites me and Jeremiah to dinner every weekend, because Dan works on the weekends and it is boring to cook for just me and a small child who hardly eats (literally I don't know how he is alive, I joke that he lives off air)).

Not only that, but Shakela has three beautiful, totally awesome kids. Her oldest is 6 year old Khalil, her middle is 5 year old Saa'mia, and her youngest is 3 year old Sakinah. I am not the only one who has made a friend. Jeremiah has too. Shakela's children have become Jeremiah's first real friends outside of school and I am so proud. Since Jeremiah has a high functioning form of Autism, it can be difficult for him to make friends, due in part because of his lack of communication. I mean he talks, but not perfectly, and sometimes that stands in his way.

Over the summer Jeremiah followed Shakela's bunch like a lost puppy. He would ride his bike with them, play in the dirt with them, and watch cartoons with them. Curently they have an ongoing game of Vampire! A game in which Khalil plays pretend to be a vampire and the others run around screaming, while he chases them, pretending to attack them and suck their blood. I know it sounds crazy and for the most part when the kids get together it is crazy and wild, but it makes for good laughs.

While Jeremiah was busy with that I found myself spending more time with Shakela. It started off with a casual hey, then we started talking about the kids, we began to learn about each other's likes, what we had in common, sharing stories about our pasts, and as they say the rest is history. Now we are always knocking on each other's doors rather it be to borrow sugar, eat dinner together, let the children play, watch our favorite shows together, or just to talk. It is fun and wonderful to have a friend/neighbor like this. Not many people become this close to their neighbors.

But you know how they say all good things come to an end...well I fear this is the end. We didn't have a falling out or anything like that. No. Shakela may be moving at the end of this month and I am not entirely happy. To be dead honest I am not happy at all.

She recently found a place that tickled her pink and she put in her application. She is currently awaiting the verdict of rather or not she is getting the place. If not then most likely she will be renewing her lease. If she does get approved then at the end of this month we have to say our goodbyes. I hate, absolutely hate goodbyes. I have never been good with them, they break my heart, and make me feel empty inside.

A part of me hopes she gets the place, because I know it would make her happy. But for my own selfish reasons I don't want to see her go. We have become so close and I feel so comfortable with her. She is right across the hall, she fills my days with something to look forward to, someone to talk to and laugh with, and Jeremiah's little heart will be broken when he can no longer go over there and play with his friends.

Fortunately she isn't moving far. We can still visit one another, she is moving close by Jeremiah's school, so there will be plenty of oppurtunities for us to see each other, andof course for the kids to visit and play their games.

It still sucks, but at the very least I made a great neighbor and turned her into a great friend. And Jeremiah finally made some friends too. Hopefully, we get another cool neighbor, but probably no one that quite compares to Shakela.

Thanks chica for being an awesome neighbor, a wonderful new friend, and I hope that even if you move away we continue to see each other often, that we may build upon our friendship, and that our children may grow up into lifelong friends. Love ya...and the little ones!