~The Greatest Gift of All~ (12/28/99)

I remember the day I met my best friend Francesca. We were both freshmen at a small high school in a very small California city. We were complete opposites at the time. She seemed to have been the shy, nerdy type; she was smart and kind, whereas I was outgoing and not exactly a genius. I recall that very day clearly now. I saw her walking down the hallway of our new campus. She, in her nerd glasses as I would tease her now, had tears drizzling slowly down her soft cheeks. "What's wrong?" I asked concerned. I saw the emotional being within her eyes, clearly, through her square-shpaped eye glasses. Trembling, I could tell she was speechless. Again, I asked her slowly, "What's wrong?" Patiently, I stood there waiting for the poor girl to asnwer my simple question, yet I could see it wasn't easy for her at all. "What's your name?" I asked kindly. Composing herself of all her grief, she gently wiped the tears that puddled behind her glasses. "Francesca," she uttered lowly, looking down. In her arms, I noticed a few poetry books, Poe and Shakespeare to name two. Silence. Our conversation ended. Surprisingly, though, we left school together. She didn't live very far from me -- perhaps a block or two. We spent quite an afternoon together, and I read a few of her poems. She was an incredible writer. Quite frankly, I could somehow feel the pain she tried to possess beneath her soul. She expressed it genuinely through her writing. One piece in particular caught my eye. I slowly read the last two lines: "...and when the time comes for my life to end, I will remember all except the friends." Its words sank into my heart...deeper every day that I saw our friendship grow even stronger. We became inseparable. Sticking together, we grew up side by side and made it to our senior year of high school. I recall all the memories we made from the time I talked her into wearing contact lenses until the day I saw her as the happiest girl alive. I know I'll never forget the time Kyle Bankford asked her to prom. Francesca was a remarkable person, who shined her beauty from the inside. Guys often fell for her beauutifl smile; sometimes just the unique shape of her almond eyes. She never thought possible that she would make it this far. But I knew she would because I watched her grow out of her shell. Then, there we were at graduation. The smartest girl of our class stood in front of 500+ people as our class' valedictorian. Looking at her, I had seen a future novelist; perhaps a journalist or even a poet. I saw the parkle in her eye when the school's principal announced her name. The crowd cheered her on as she shyly stood on the platform. Beginning her speech, her first few words intrigued me completely. "Believe it or not," she said, "but I may not be here today if it hadn't been for my best friend." All I could do was smile when people turned to look at me. Evidently, everyone knew how close the both of us were. However, my heart then began to sink. "I always wrote poems, but they always reflected upon me," she distressed. Sitting in my seat, I remembered that one poem; the poem that bothered me for days even though she didn't know it. Francesca had planned to kill herself on the day that I met her. It was I, who saved her from the pit of suicide and depression. She continued on, and I felt a tear build up in my eye, while she, too, was ready to cry. I could see the shine in her eyes. "She took me to church," she began to sob slowly, "and accepted me as her friend." I sat in my chair, crying with her. All that time during high school, I had no idea. Quickly glancing over my shoulder, I saw Francesca's mother smile the smile of gratitude. "The point I'm trying to make," Francesca continued on, "is that there's always gonna be someone there for you: A close friend, an acquainance, a stranger and Jesus." My heart sank even deeper as my cry became louder. All those years, I felt God was trying to bring a friend to Francesca. Nonetheless, I realized now, He was bringing ME to her. Even to this day, Francesca still hasn't explained to me why she planned to killed herself; not a hint or a single word. Whenever the subject comes up, she tells me, "It's all in the past. We should look forward now." A grin draws on her face, and I think to myself, "God does work in many great ways."

We should never underestimate the power of our actions because the smallest gesture we make can change a person's entire life. We were all placed in the lives of others so that we may impact one another in some way. We should always thank God for the gift of friends.

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