The things you don’t know

My best friend is always my first phone call when something in my life is changing. I’m her first phone call when she needs to talk. This friend has been through so much, and I always worry about her. But it wasn’t until this text that I knew how much I missed:

“So I came home tonight from work and read the entire book. I am stunned. I cried through most of it, got to the paragraph that you talked about your best friend, balled and cried some more. I am beyond proud of you for sharing your story, for being so transparent and for being so courageous and brave. There was a time in my life I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to make it and I didn’t tell anyone. I had lost my dad, I was in those accidents and I couldn’t handle the guilt that I felt. Someone’s family was about to have Christmas without their loved one because he hit us and I was almost positive my family was going to have their first Christmas without me because I couldn’t handle it. But I made it. I survived. I survived a lot of EMTs worst nightmares on duty on November 9th and I survived a struggle a lot of people wouldn’t… and ya know what? I’m so thankful. I’m so thankful I survived that accident and I’m so thankful that I battled back from the depths of hell. Without that I wouldn’t have been able to see you achieve such a huge accomplishment. Cheers to you Chris Turnbull. Congratulations. I love you guys and I’m so so so excited for you.”

Would I have been her last phone call? What if I couldn’t get to the phone? You never know until you ask. Watch out for each other. Be the person somebody can count on when they need that extra boost.