Shoulders to Stand On

talk of standing on shoulders...
people who have recently made me taller....
C who held my hand at the pivotal moment when my life came to a cross road
when the mirror said yeah it's not what you thought
it was
you validated me you said what you're feeling is true and right
and we had a new language of friendship
and love
and sisterhood

N who really was my sounding board, my therapist, my absolute friend through the years of
mother daughter life and death and life and lots of craziness
you were there in the truly dark hours and I will never forget that

L who came in and swooped me up gave me love and caring and empathy
and forged a bond of trust
we shared our stories of parental loss
and forgiveness
and heart ache and
working on moving on

and L with her constant optimism,
there is always a bright side in the now
yet also sharing times of struggle to let me know I'm not alone
to be vulnerable
to open your heart
and to grow

Thank you
and you are just
the shoulders I have stood on in the last 10 years
thank you
for making me stronger.