Mark and I

I saw this quote by Henri Nouwen and started sobbing because this quote captures the essence of our friendship. Our relationship was a difficult one to explain because it was an unusual one - a single man and woman who care for each other deeply, know each other's most intimate thoughts, have shared each other's most painful and private moments, enjoy each other's company and humor immensely but realize that they are not right for one another as man and wife. It's just odd but that was us and it was awesome.

But this quote perfectly explains our frienship and while it's comforting to have found something concrete that explains Mark and I, it rips me open because I've lost something so beautiful. I know I'll come to the other side of just being thankful that I got to EVER experience this kind of friendship. Reading this quote makes me realize that he and I were such good friends to one another - we were both truly lucky.

“When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving much advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a gentle and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares.”