Day 249

What was once the solid land of knowing your purpose today and your direction tomorrow is gone. I’m left clinging to the walls to know which way is up.

I know I need to be around people and not be stuck in a hotel room, so I find whatever excuses I can to go out into the world. To play at normalcy is to have a vacation, however flimsy, from my reality.

A friend and I registered for a pie-making workshop. The day before the workshop, she found out she was going to be called in to work. I decided that I’d go without her as the class was nonrefundable. I decided I would make some new friends while I was there. I did just that and it was a blast.

The women that let me join their group had very interesting life stories. We discovered we all have the same incredibly rare genetic disorder.

We had a vigorous debate on the value of pre- and post-nuptial agreements. I feel I made my point best when I showed a text exchange I had with Constance’s father. I wrote, “Congratulations on your big professional success today. What a win! You earned every bit of this moment...and I’m happy to have half.” He replied, “Thank you!”

I told them about Constance. They talked about a sister/aunt who passed last year.

While mixing filling, we agreed that when it comes to life, even the parts with grief are improved by humor. Then we told each other dirty jokes to prove it.

New friends are the best. They combine my favorite things in life: people, friendship, socializing, learning, new experiences, and conversation. Now more than before, hearing other’s challenges and triumphs helps you understand that you’re not the only one brought low by tragedy or blessed to get things others don’t have.

Constance and I had the same shortcomings as chefs: impatience and eating ingredients. I still have those shortcomings, actually.

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