I was given my key for xmas from a friend who had received it from her partners mother. I think she’d given it me partially because of the times I helped rescue her over the years and partially because I’d get it, wouldn’t find it hokey. I thought I’d just be keeping it warm until I paid it forward and passed it on. I knew instantly who’d I’d give it to and didn’t think I’d have it long. That wasn’t the case though. I needed this key of strength more than I realized. Needed a reminder of the strength that lies within and of the strength of the loved ones around me that I can lean on. Today, January 19, 2015, I’m passing on the key, passing on a little strength. I’m gifting the key to a friend, a Ms. B. Strong. The engraving literally speaks to her name but reflects many qualities she embodies. She is one of the first real friends I made after moving to NYC and has become family—we’ve spent many a Thanksgiving together. She’s a gem. B. is about to take a leap. She’s at the precipice of a new chapter. She’ll be moving to a cabin in the woods along a river for a spell to figure out what’s next. I hope this key reminds her of what’s possible, that she is capable and able to take on the world. I hope it reminds her of how strong she is and of all the love she has to support her. Wherever she ends up she already has all she needs.