Trading Places

We went to a party. An old friend of mine showed up unexpectedly.
I got carried away in conversation. I failed to introduce Eve.
More than thirty minutes later, I realized that I had forgotten her.
It was too late. She was very (VERY) hurt and upset.
She thought - and perhaps still thinks - that I made that happen to "get payback".

This was an unfortunate sleight - not intentional at all - a brief moment of "carried away".
When this happened to me, I was derided by her friends, basically told to "deal with it".
I dealt with it. Sometimes I couldn't take it, and so I had to leave. It hurt.
I didn't hold a grudge. I took responsibility. I worked on myself. I forgave her.

When I learned to function on my own, things were great.
We went to some parties as 'equals' (separate but equal), and nobody got hurt.
She did her thing, and I did my thing, and we both had a good time.

Then, without warning, out of nowhere, the "reverse" situation happened to her.
And she was hurt. I know. I could see it. She wasn't faking. She was hit very hard.
I could have been smug, I could have been a butthead, I could have rubbed it in.
But I didn't. I know it really hurts, and I offered only compassion and apologies.
I'm not here to prove a point. It's not about who "wins" (especially when we are HURT).
I'm here because I want to love her and I want to be loved by her.

Life has an interesting way of teaching us.
I think we really understand each other much better now.
She apologized. I apologized. It was heartfelt, cathartic, beautiful.

I am at peace now. There is nothing to be angry about - nothing to forgive.
We're just two frakked-up people, trying to make some sense of this world.

I pray this brings us closer instead of driving us apart.
But at this point, everything is on hold. Time has stopped.
It's just so sad that it got to this point.

Wow. Just wow. A whole lotta wow.
I'll have a side of pain, please.