This Moment Changed My Life Forever

Thanks Bruce

Photo by David Preston on Unsplash

A Letter to a friend from the past. Someone I’m going to see at my high school reunion this year.

Dear Bruce,

It’s been a long time since we were neighbours, and I’m not the same young girl you once knew. I’ve made my way in the world — despite myself — and I wanted to let you know that everything worked out for the best in the end.

I also wanted to thank you.

I don’t know if you remember the day you picked me up in your car and drove me to a quiet spot to have a chat. My parents were worried about me and were talking about sending me to a reform school to keep me out of trouble. I’m not sure why you decided to speak up. Maybe you didn’t agree with the idea of reform school. Maybe you saw me as I was. A young person who wasn’t getting what she needed from her parents, or from school. Maybe you could see that I had a different future.

So you gave me some good advice. “Hang in there,” you said. “Bide your time until you turn 16. Then they won’t be able to send you to reform school. Then you can make your own decisions. Maybe things will change.”

Thank you for that. You changed the entire trajectory of my life.