Hasta Siempre

This is a poem that I wrote a couple of months ago, as I prepared to relocate to Saint Petersburg. I’m sharing it now, with the blessing of the person that I wrote it for, and as my way of celebrating International Friendship Day, which is tomorrow (July 30th).

The genesis of this poem comes from a fundraising idea I had for a non-profit, where I serve on the Board. Great Dames was co-founded in 2009 by my good friend Sharon Kelly Hake, and her daughter Heather Cassey. I’ve been involved from day one, and it is an organization that is very close to my heart. My idea was that I would write poems on request, with the recipient and myself then sharing the cost of sponsoring an Aspiring Dame to be a part of the community. Sharon took me up on my offer, asking me to write a poem about our friendship.

The title, which means ‘until forever’, reflects that Sharon and I first met, while I was still relatively new to the US, and she and her family had just returned to the US from a multi-year assignment in Spain. We both worked for DuPont, and both took on key roles in a $2BN strategic business that was just being formed. We became fast friends, working very closely together over the next several years, and over time, I got to know and love her family, too. After leaving DuPont, I continued to work on projects with Sharon, and since then, there really hasn’t been any major career decisions for either of us, that we haven’t consulted each other on. It’s been wonderful to see Sharon truly find her calling with Great Dames, and to be able to participate in building something that is so important to so many.

Friendship is one of those things that we can often take for granted, and don’t think to take the time to sit down and spell out what it means to us. Being at that age where I’ve lost quite a few friends (some to illnesses, and others in tragic accidents), I’ve written far too many ‘after the fact’ reflections on what those individuals have meant to me, instead of taking the time to leave my loved ones in no doubt of how I feel about them. As we celebrate International Friendship Day tomorrow, I encourage you to think about doing the same… pick up the phone, write them a note, tell you friends what it means that they’re in your lives.

Photo by Aedrian on Unsplash

Hasta Siempre 

in meeting and making friends
life provides
a multitude of possibilities
places where we learn
where we work 
where we play

It is not about place or time
granted, friendship often starts there
as seed, once scattered
finds fertile soil or fallow
mutual respect and shared values 
providing the nutrients
laughter providing the sunlight

not all friendships
are created equal
many falter
as people change
and paths diverge
few transcend time’s test 
to grow and flourish

other friendships give us cause
to count our blessings
as friends become family
our friendship is like that
a quarter century in the making
both timeless and priceless
ever durable and always dependable
distance shrinks and time compresses
when you share an enduring bond