Spider’s Friend

Can’t remember when the last time
All of us were here
Remembering what we had
I can’t think of another moment
Not knowing what was lost
Going to keep trying, no matter what

It was hard to think of all the time that had passed. She had thought that there would be more time. They were all pretty young and the majority of them had good health. Their lives had all gone off in different directions. one breaking off first and then another and then another until they only had the barest strands linking them.

The strands that used to be as thick as a wool blanket, newly knit by a master craftsman.

Now they were as thin as a string of spider’s web.

She had thought they were still as strong as a spider’s web, at least. After all, those were very strong strings.

But…

But she had forgotten that it was easier for something, or someone, to come along and cut a spider’s thread, destroy the web that was so beautifully created to provide shelter and sustenance.

She’d been able to catch a few glimpses of some of those threads recently. Some of them still shown, bright with morning dew.

But…

But one was slack, billowing in the wind.

She hadn’t understood what that meant. Still wouldn’t understand it for over six months.

She doesn’t wish she never found out, because ignorance is not bliss. She should know, she’s been caught up because of it before and it never ended well.

The thread was cut by the friend himself. There was no coming back from that.

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This was inspired by the Dungeon Prompt: Never Shared.

I’m going to be honest, it took me a bit to be able to finish this one. I won’t go into why, but it was hard. This is a hard subject.

Just, for anyone out there, remember that no one is better without you in the world. Even if you aren’t in their lives anymore, just knowing that you are out there in the world and living can be enough for them.

Please don’t give up.

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Make a Wish

This picture, if you’re able to see it (I couldn’t blow it up without smudging everything in it…blast it…) is a story about a young man who has come to a wishing well with the intent to make a wish. A young girl is standing on the edge of the well, intending to jump in.

She warns the boy not to stop her.

He assures her that he’s just come to make a wish in the well and then goes on to describe how the wish is granted, but he stops right at the end and doesn’t tell her how it ends.

She’s astonished that so much will be done for just a penny and asks how the wish granting ends.

He replies that he’ll tell her over some ice cream if she wants to come along and hear how it ends.

She thinks for a moment and then says that she wouldn’t mind having some ice cream.

As they walk away, she asks when he’ll know that his wish has been granted.

He smiles and says that it already has.

I may have gotten some of the comic info a little mixed up as I’m writing this from memory and not looking at the picture (because I can’t get it to enlarge and be legible at the moment), but that’s the gist of it. I don’t remember where I found this comic and so can’t site the author. (If I ever find out, I will update this post to include that information.)

This comic jumped to my mind as I was (finally) able to go through old posts from blogs that I follow since I have moved and I cam across Q is for Quit by Oliana. The story of her colleague near the end of the post and also about the realization that she has and I couldn’t help but wish that there were more people like her colleague (like Oliana herself as she works at a help line) and like the boy in the comic who will just listen and be there when someone needs them.

Even when they don’t know who you are.

Especially when they don’t know who you are.

They are there because they see or hear someone who just needs you to exist right next to them.

 

I Didn’t Even Know Him That Well

How can I look back without remembering that day?

Of when you sat back to back and helped me on my way?

Please, I pray that you have found peace,

Even now, I wonder, do you look down on our lease…

 

So I must go on and never forget,

Quietly in my heart, the change that you brought, yet

Until I can see your smiling face

And know that you have once more found your place.

Don’t give up, because you are not alone, lost in space.

 

This is dedicated to those who died in my high school senior year. I was thinking over it and I was reminded of one of the boys who committed suicide that year. He helped me during a time of need when I didn’t even know who he was. I still didn’t really know him when he died, but even then I could feel his loss.

If he could effect someone who he didn’t even really know, I pray that those who were close have found comfort throughout the years.

During the school year of 2005-2006, my high school had five students die. Of those five, two were suicide, two were complications from surgery and one was a heart attack from a boy who had the heart of a 40-year-old at the age of 18. The following year, I have found, a new program was created for my alumni. It was called the Hope Squad and, I hope, is still running today to help the students, the teens, as they work through this part of their lives so that they can continue to the chapters of adulthood.