To the one who has kept me warm,
You have lent me your coat more than once. The time first was after the wedding we had attended a couple of years ago – when we sat by the beach on the Central Coast with a bunch of other people, eating fish and chips for lunch. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, but it was a windy day. It was also in winter, so I guess my judgement in wearing a thin cardigan over my thin jumpsuit, was a little flawed… functionally. Thank you for keeping me warm.
The second time was also at a beach. This time, a little to home, in Balmoral. We had woken up really early to see the sunrise, and even caught first light as we arrived. The air was a little chilly, yet, slightly humid and we had perched ourselves on a rock overlooking the ocean. We watched waves pull in and out, watched rowers paddle and people swim. And all was calm. As I sat on that rock in your nice grey coat, I thought, yeah, this is nice. Hearing the gentle lull of the sea, and listening to my sunrise playlist, soothed the soul. And you know, on that one morning, I’m pretty sure I learnt more about you than in the two years I had known you previously. You’re a tough nut to crack.
Sometimes you can be the biggest tsundere1 I know. Honestly, it’s really funny. When I showed you to the door the other day, I 100% expected your unimpressed response to the massive grin that slowly appeared on my face. But other times, you actually let your walls down – and I can have a genuine conversation with you. Those little occasions are so rare and so valuable.
I really do have fond memories of that morning and sunrise. I remember the pâté on sourdough and milk tea, scalding-to-the-point-it-couldn’t-humanly-be-consumed, that we had for breakfast; the calm anticipation of seeing the sunrise in mere moments and the small conversations in between the quiet; and how we sang praises to God in your car. It was a joy. I’d like to see the sunrise again.
What you mean to me, I’m not sure I can put it into words. Anything I write doesn’t quite explain it.
But, thank you for being a part of my life.
In Christ,
Jaimee
P.S. it always makes me happy when you show up to my gatherings – let’s get ramen soon.
1 A Japanese term for a character development process that depicts a character with a personality who is initially polarized warm/soft, cold, temperamental, hotheaded (and sometimes even hostile) before gradually showing a warmer, friendlier side over time.
水 