i met this girl years ago, and we were kinda forced into being friendly to each other due to the circumstances of situation. at the time our boyfriends were best friends. we were polite, but we didn't care for one anothers' company, or so we thought. we thought the same thing about the other. what i thought of her: "she's a stuck up bitch from Long Island, who thinks who the hell she is", what she thought of me: "she's a stuck up bitch from Queens, who thinks who she is".
then something terrible happened. the bitch from long island said 'yes' to the marriage proposal. something had to be done. she was going to be around for a long time, and i was going to have to learn how to play nice. we went for coffee. it went great! later on, we both admitted disliking each other, thats how i have all this intel, that's also how i know that it did in fact go great, because i felt it, and she felt it. it made sense. we clicked. it was simple, and easy, and i loved her. she was my friend; my true friend.
everyone has their little quirks about them, things that make them seem crazy, i have a laundry list of items that actually do make me crazy, i really should have a rubber room somewhere. she liked me anyway and put up with all of it. she kept me calm, and let me cry, she didn't mock me for any of it. when she turned into crystal, her alternate "crazy" self, i went along with it, didn't mock, i rode the wave out.
i forgot to mention one thing about my friend. she's not only an amazing person, she has cystic fibrosis. the disease she had her entire life, became apart of my life. i absorbed it into my world. i loved her specifically because she never defined herself by her disease. it didn't overrun her life, but it did have to monopolize some of it; it's no small potatoes when it comes to diseases.
*Amy is small in stature, petite, like a little girl, but in a woman's body. she's thin, and has cream colored skin. her cheeks (as i remember), always had the color of peaches, (unless she wasn't feeling real well), she's lovely. i'm none of those things, and if we were just running out real quick somewhere, it almost looked like Amy was a 12-13 year old girl compared to me. the sound of her cough at first, is startling. but you get used to it. if you aren't used to a CF cough, you might mistake it for a smokers cough. (i have heard a smokers cough before and could always tell the difference, besides the point, i know). there would be times we would be out, or Amy would be out by herself, and she would cough, real hefty kinda coughing, and people would turn and stare, i wouldn't ignore Amy, i just didn't put a spot light on her. i'd wait till she was done and ask how she was. we would laugh and joke that people must wonder who is this 12 year old with the smokers cough.
years past, we grew closer and then something terrible happened. Amy was no longer my friend due to circumstances of situation. i was heartbroken. i was angry. i said i didn't give a shit, but really i did, a great deal. i missed my friend. i worried about my friend. she didn't need me like i needed her. she had a circle, a tight group of friends and support and love and people that always rode the wave of crystal well before the "stuck up bitch from queens" ever came along. i hated it. she did hurt me though, and i wasn't going to let that happen again. i have to state, a lot of those circumstances of situation that happened i couldn't blame Amy for; she was also put on a transplant list for new lungs because her health had depreciated so much, which didn't help in the situation either. it was a rough go for both of us personally. i was dealing with a lot of stuff on my end too.
18 months went by, give or take a few months and i got an email from Amy saying she saw a dress and thought of me. that was a crack of the door. it's been a year, and Amy and i have repaired our damaged friendship, and have planned on moving on from here. we have apologized for the past and realized that shit happens, circumstances of situations occur and we'll deal with it. this is all great news right? well, i've got even better news...
on december 9, 2011, someone, a glorious someone, who probably didn't think what they were doing at the time was a big deal, saved my friends life by becoming a donor. after months of waiting, and not feeling so great, but kept on praying, fingers and toes crossed, doctors visits, IV drugs, treatments, O2 tanks, 4 dry runs to the hospital, Amy got a double lung transplant. she's doing great. she feels great. she's amazing. she's always been amazing. i've cried a bunch of time because of this happy news. you can't understand how happy you can be for someone until you know them, and watch them wait, finally get a new organ, and new beginnings. in 2001 my uncle was given a second chance when he received a liver transplant.
become a donor, you might save someones life one day. thank you donor families EVERYWHERE. you are amazing people. thank you for saving 2 people i love. i know it's early but Merry Christmas, and Have a Happy and Healthy New Year Everyone.
*you know why you're name is Amy right?*
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