When an Email Changes Everything

It had been over ten years since she'd heard his voice, seen his face or known what he was up to.

Her hunch was that he'd settled down, gotten promoted, and maybe had kids of his own.

Their friendship hadn't ended well and lots of things that should have been said weren't, while other things that shouldn't have, came out in droves....making a reconciliation highly unlikely.

And then out of nowhere on a spring day, the message came, "I'm sorry.  I miss you.  I wish you well."

He wasn't an old boyfriend or past love, no he was more.  He was a really good friend...which is unfortunate because really genuine, giving, platonic relationships between guys and girls are rare.

But the truth is, she'd wondered and hoped that he'd found the love of his life, that he was making rituals of his own, and that the world was treating him with the kindness that he deserved.

The question was whether to write back.  And then, of course, what to say.  Had too much time passed?  Was it all simply water under the bridge?  Would they have anything in common and beyond that, how do you move past the awkwardness of the events that led to their separation?

In the end, hope usually wins and faith in their foundation forged a path.

"Thank you for reaching out.  I'm sorry for my part in how things went down.  I'm so happy to hear about your family.  Let's try again."

It's not always easy to reach out, especially when an extraordinary amount of time has passed.  It's not always easy to know what you'll get, when you do, but most of the time it's worth it.

Often, it just takes a little courage, vulnerability, hope, and a few key strokes.  Typically, I'm sorry is a good place to start.