Just Friends

As I have been slowly making the transitions from "student" to "teacher," from "child" to "adult," and from "dependent" to "independent," I am realizing that my relationships with people are changing. Best friends have moved away to pursue their own dreams in other states, my Grace graduating class has dispersed, and the journeys we once started together are now roads we walk with others.

My roommate and I were both ecstatic to be hired into the same district. It's the district where we student taught, where we learned from expert teachers, where we served the students, and where we go to church. We were beyond thankful to have each other in this new walk of life, and we assumed we would be roommates again.

After some consideration, however, we decided to part ways and live separately. Three years of co-existing, wrestling through conflicts, changing relationships, hard classes, personal growth, but also three wonderful years of iron sharpening iron came to a close. Bittersweet, most definitely, but the right time to begin to live lives apart a little more.

We went to new teacher orientation together. Instead of finding our normal place at each other's side as we did all through college, we sat at different tables, occasionally smirking at inside jokes that were called to our attention through a key buzzword a speaker said, but primarily just keeping it inside. We didn't even really talk in between sessions.

At one point, I overheard a conversation she was having with one of the speakers. The speaker had said something that reminded me of a familiar, humorous conversation Bekah and I had often had. I turned just in time to see her laugh aloud as our eyes met. The speaker looked confused about what had prompted this. I watched as Bekah flailed for words, trying to explain how she had read my mind, how she had known exactly what I was thinking... but couldn't. It was left at "that's Zoe."

We reflected on it afterward and we realized there is no true way to sum up our relationship. How can anyone understand the depths of growth, of understanding between us? The term "friends" does not suffice. But "roommate" is no longer applicable. To use the term "sister" is just confusing, but that is perhaps most closely what we are.

While at Grace, most things could be explained by simply announcing we were roommates. People would smile, nod, and put up with our shenanigans. But now, we're professionals. The winks, the jokes, the smirks, and the writing on each other's notes is not necessarily acceptable.

So... I guess we're just friends. Not roommates. But friends. It's a weird transition, and I do feel sad at times as I think about how things have changed. But my sadness does not last long when I realize I get to continue to move forward with my friend, roommate, sister by my side. We don't need to give our relationship a name. It will be different; it will change. But as we have in the past, we will continue to grow and change together.