Better Than What I Lost

8/20/2021

Thinking about the time I started a blog, made one post, and then abandoned it for almost 4 months. I wish I had a better reason for doing so, but if I'm being completely honest, it's really only because I 've been sad and had no motivation. I've hated everything I've written and haven't had the energy to rewrite or revise it-so I have probably 7 unfinished posts sitting in my drafts that I'm sure I'll get around to completing someday. I'm in quarantine as I'm writing this, and I wish I could say I used this time to be productive and creative, but really, other than writing this, I've spent the entire time doing the only thing that I've felt like doing for the past 3 months- laying in my bed. I'm HOPIIIING to get my creative drive back, but for now, the fact that this ever got posted is enough.

ANYWAAAYS! Onto the actual update...

If you keep up with my social media in the slightest bit, you probably know who Emma and Jordan are. My best friends who are in pretty much every picture I've posted in the past few months.

When I started skating last year I was spending basically every day at the park. I would take my computer there to do school in the mornings each day so that I could skate during my breaks, and I got involved in a church called Restore that meets there every Sunday morning for service, and every Tuesday night just to hang around and skate. I've learned so much from it and it's also how I ended up meeting both Em and Jordan.

Back in October, Restore was on the come up and they were hosting competitions and events constantly. A few of my friends were planning on going one night so I figured I'd go along with them. Earlier that morning I had joined a livestream of a girl that I'd followed for a while. I made a comment about her skirt and stayed on for a few minutes as she filmed herself getting ready for her day. I never join livestreams so I'm not really sure why I even clicked on it, but when I showed up to the skatepark that night, she was there. "Dude, I think I was on your livestream earlier this morning" "No way! Are you Daynie?" She asked. We talked a little more before she gave me her number and typed "Jordan" into the contact name.

About a week or so later, I invited Emma to come skate with us. Jordan, Emma, and I had all been mutuals on social media for so long and had talked a few times, but none of us had ever hung out before. The first time we did though, it felt like we had all been friends for years. Within days we were wildly close. Winter made for the perfect weather to be spending every day and night from then on out at the park.

It's so wild to think that all we've done together- The lengthy days spent at the beach, watching the sunrise from a mattress we had brought out, or painting massive canvases while the sun set behind us, or chasing coral reefs on the other side of the state. The week straight sleepovers and nights spent dancing in the rain and eating crappy diner food. None of it would have happened if it weren't for social media. It's so insane that an app on my phone led me to two of my very best friends. It's rare that I will actually endorse social media, because it's truly done a lot more harm than good for my life, but this is one byproduct of using it that I'm hugely appreciative of.

I think to me, the most odd part about us meeting was that we had all been wanting to be friends with each other for a while, but none of us had reached out. When we all officially met in person, it was perfect timing in all of our lives (without us even realizing that was the case). I had just lost a really close friend of mine, Jordan was going through something really similar at the exact same time, and Emma's friends had just left for college. It was so clear that God was saving us meeting for when we all really needed it. How wild that in the literal years I spent wanting to be friends with them, it would happen so randomly right when I was mourning the loss of a really important relationship in my life? AND that they would just so happen to both be going through similar situations at the exact same time as me, right as we met? It couldn't have been more perfect or intentional. There's a lot more to the story that I could go into that really emphasizes how purposeful the timing was, but it's way too long for me to get into in just one post. Coincidences on top of coincidences- it's so wild to me.

It's August now. A month I love- a month so good that Taylor Swift wrote a song named after it. In years past, my Augusts have been filled with travels to the other side of the world, and of the state, missed flights, hello embraces, and goodbye tears, nights spent sleeping on the sidewalks and in hotel lobbies of little beach towns, the prettiest sunsets I ever did see, sunburnt faces and brand new pups, pizza parties in the rain, long days spent waiting for concerts and happy tears as the shows finally approached, kisses goodbye and laughs so loud that they woke the whole house up. Essentially, August is, in history, one of the best months of the year.

With that being said, August was made even more special this year when me and Jordan met. Little August girl. I love her. She's doing big things this month as well as every other day of her life. In just a few days she leaves for college in Hawaii. I'm so proud of her, and I'm going to miss her so much. Although it's been a short time knowing her, it's so clear how purposeful her friendship is and continues to be in my life.

Thankful that God knew how much we needed each other exactly when he put both her and Emma in my life.

Thankful for our trinity and how well we compliment, and bring out the best in each other.

Thankful that I finally found something better than what I lost.