After my father left when I was 6 years old, I started losing faith in having security in any male figure. I went through high school and my first year of college with sky high walls around my heart that would protect me from being abandoned by anyone else. It was this way until I met a guy my freshman year of college who I quickly became best friends with.
He was a collegiate athlete, but different from the other "players" on his team. He was genuine and he listened to me. He was patient with me. He managed to break down my walls, challenged me to open up, and pushed me to be all in. I quickly fell in love.
The summer before our senior year, he was drafted by the MLB. I couldn't have been more proud. It had been his dream, and he worked so incredibly hard to get there. He quickly had to change his lifestyle, but this only brought us closer. The months dragged on, and during his off season, he lived with me at college. I was in my first year of student teaching and he was only there to train with his old team. I realized we started going through the motions, but was never worried about breaking up.
He left for spring training and, in 3 weeks, broke up with me.
I was heartbroken as I held an empty promise. I did nothing but search for answers in my head as to what happened, and how I was supposed to continue without my best friend by my side. A few months of tears went by and I felt as though I still had not progressed. My sister had just gotten engaged, and we were wedding dress shopping with our mom and my sister's sorority "big," Lauren. Lauren and I were not close friends, but she knew about my recent break-up and could see the pain I still endured.
She shared with me that we have very similar life paths and talked about how she still hurts from her break-up 2 years ago. She said that she is nowhere near being fully healed, but when reflecting back, sees the progress she has made.
She passed me an envelope and told me not to open it until I got home. I opened it and there was the STRENGTH key.
-Olivia
