Have you ever had a friend?
That often asked you, invited you, 
tempted you, challenged you
To embrace your full potential,
To open your eyes to the beyond.
Some of us say yes, while others say no.

But have you ever truly had a friend
That you felt their end was your beginning
And that there wasn’t a challenge that you had to face alone,
Because somewhere perhaps hidden,
They would be beside you, within you, become you.

See I had never had a friend
That told me everything I needed to hear
Without ever muttering a word.
A friend, who no matter how late in the afternoon
Or early in the morning, I knew
Would always be there with an open ear and open heart.

This friend was my savior,
For they were the very essence
Of what I believed was good in this world.
Distance was never an obstacle.

The absoluteness of our friendship
Gave the impression that we were somehow,
Oblivious to life outside of our circle.
Which continued to grow in size
But never in quantity, because
There were still only two halves present at all times.

This friend put my heart in tune 
To possibility, to the effectiveness of change
To the belief in the theory of Existentialism,
Where in choosing not to choose, we have made the choice.
 
You see I had always believed that choices were a matter of luxury,
And that one hadn’t the will to direct, or even redirect their life,
But I was assured that as certain as
April showers brought May flowers
That at age 14
I was not immune to this freedom.

You see, somehow this friend
Changed my view of the world
By simply allowing me to change my view of myself
Then never asked for anything in return
Not even my silence
Because they wanted me to share with others
What I had been so fortunate to receive.

It wasn’t until we spent less time together
That I realized, that I had begun to stand on my own two feet,
And that my head was above water.

The crossing of our paths lessened,
Our visits became infrequent
And life somehow caught up with me
And as happy as I was to finally experience life through my own eyes,
A part of me felt forever indebted to this friend,
That once whispered to my inner peace 
And guided me down the path
I take and lead today.

For me that friend was The Ocean
Who no matter where I was, captivated me
On the good days when we were fortunate enough to grace each others’ presence
She somehow always bathed me in love,
Filled my spirit with hope,
And sent me off with the words “you can do it”, at the edge of my tongue.

I have been truly blessed to have ever known her,
And to have called her friend
And whether our friendship was sudden, seasonal or everlasting
The point is, that it came, I was present, and can tell the story
Of how Ocean changed my life.