for hope

image by jeff kubina

my friend hope at a song not scored for breathing has been given an assignment for a lay ministry class she's taking. she's been asked to bring in an object that is a 'symbol of self'. i have pondered this a lot as she is very special to me. you see hope is my go to woman. when i am struggling with my path she is the one i call for help.

she listens, laughs, shares my life and speaks truth deeply into places i sometimes don't want to look at. i don't know how many times i have told her 'i hate you' - she knows i only half mean it. miles and miles of trans canada highway seperate us, i don't know if we'll ever have the chance to meet this side of heaven - but this i know - she is a true friend. a soul mate - a kindred spirit like i have never had before. she gets me and understands me, calls me on my shit and loves me still. i have thought much about what i think her symbol might be.

something else you might not know about hope is that she struggles for every breath she takes. her voice is soft and quiet on the phone. she doesn't have the luxury of working lungs and energy. i knew that this symbol must have something to do with breath - with breathing, with oxygen and yet be lifegiving.

hope floats.

she does. i know i've never seen her do it in person, but she floats. she is a bubble to me - no, not always. but there are times when she catches the breath of the spirit and she floats and flies like these bubbles. they are childlike, fragile and beautiful. free, majestic and fun. just like her. hope floats.

so dear friend hope, you are bubbles to me. no, not fluffy, shallow bubbles - but the strong ones that the wind takes higher and higher still. i pray breath and wind and power to you dear friend. thank you for being all of those things for me. i love you.

here are the most beautiful bubbles on the web:
bubbles