Tonjia has been a part of my life for more than 25 years. I cherished our years together and apart. I first met her at work the year 1977, we both had graduated from high school and were working for a large store chain. We were so much alike in ways and so different in others. She is a very unique human being, her outlook on life made her such a generous and caring individual. She is my best friend, my blood sister my partner in crime. She was always the one inspiring me to go for whatever I wanted and was always the one in great spirits, she was enthusiastic, energetic, with a great sense of humor.
Our friendship wasn't about who your family was or how much money they had, nor what kind of car I drove, it was not about how beautiful or ugly you are either, it was not about what kind of shoes you wear or music you listen too, and it was not even about me having blonde hair and blue eyes and she having brown eyes and black kinky hair but it was always about this friendship we had. Her family was my family and my family was her family, as evidenced by the death of my mother reasonably. She was the only person left standing by me at the most heartbreaking time in my life, through all the tears, the late night conversation, the emptiness, and the doubts about my mother's death my friend Tonjia was always there. .
I have learned from her that love hurts, that it's okay to mess up, it's okay to ask for help, it's okay to feel like crap, and it was always okay to complain and whine to her. I learned that the things you want most you can't have, that time can heal all things, and that just when you think things can't get worse it does, but with love and support of a true friend you will survive. But most of all I learned that sometimes the things we want to forget are the things which we most of all need to talk about. .
Though we both have gone separate ways we will continue to appear, disappear and then again reappear in each others lives for the next 20 years.
