picking up the pieces

As the past couple of months have come and quickly gone, I have faced many difficult challenges that have stretched me in ways I can't even begin to describe... My heart shattered by people I love, betrayed by people I have known forever, and abandoned by people I thought would always have my back. It's been weird picking up the pieces, wondering how people you love can hurt you so much... I am not here for a pity party, nor am I depressed, but it has been one of the harder things to get through, trying to figure out how it all came to this.

Much of my life, I have felt abandoned and alone... but never so much by so many people, especially the ones I trusted... As I have found a new church, a place that I can call my home (on which I am proud to say, I made the commitment to become a member of- which is interesting because I have grown up in church, but never been a member of a church!). There I have found I matter to God (which was always something that I have known, but never quite grasped), and I matter to people! As I walked through the past two months which have been nothing short of dark and dreary I have found people that have taken my hand and walked beside me. Praise God for such amazing people!

So lately, after a lot of thought... and after being hurt by a certain person for far too long, 'enough is enough'. I have come to a place, where it is finally ok for me to let go... I am no longer going to be the convenient friend that I have been for far too long... I wrote this poem, regarding my "friend" while we were in our senior year of high school together.

Would you cry a tear for me tomorrow,
when the sun no longer rises?
Would you think of me throughout your day,
remembering how i cared?
Would you look at pictures of you and me,
and take the time to reminisce?
Would you think of me everyday,
or let my memory slowly fade?
Would you wonder if you hurt me,
or would the thought ever cross your mind?
Would you recollect all that has passed,
including the not so glamorous times?
Would you hurt because of a devastating loss,
or did you really know me?
Would you want to know all my secrets,
or would satisfaction have already been found?
Would you need a replacement,
a person to fill my spot?
Would see me in your dreams,
or feel me in your heart?
Would you cry a tear for me tomorrow,
when i am no longer there?
-01/18/02

Not much has changed from 5 1/2 years ago; as I have seen my value to her shine through in my darkest tribulations. I discussed this situation with a friend of mine the other day, and it became clear, she uses me much as a male uses a whore. Bear with me here. When she needs me, I am there... from break ups with boyfriends, to fights with parents, or even when she is at work and there is no air conditioning (YAY for slurpees!), I have been there... but in my loneliest times, my most emotionally trying times, if I am not needed by her, she is nowhere to be found. A promised companion to walk together into court, yet I stood there alone, with not one phone call from her or anything ever, to see how it all went.

So, in this I must say, "I am sorry (i won't say her name to sell her out, I have more class than that), but I refuse to be your whore any longer! I have found REAL friends, TRUE friends who love me and have my back... I can't hold on any longer, trying to be friends with someone who doesn't care. You may live 12 houses away, but I will take my friends that would drive 12 hours to make sure I am ok". I do wish her all the best in all she does, but I am finally laying to rest what I have tried to salvage for years. I am picking up the pieces and burying the tears. So "goodbye to you, and all you put me through..." I hope when you need a friend, you haven't pushed them all away...