Flashback Friday

I have the kind of past that sometimes it's better not to look back, but it shouldn't be ignored either. In my attempt to move forward from my past a few years back I went into a self made bubble and hid out for awhile. I gave little thought to most of the people left behind. Then there were other people that I have thought about often. The ones that left a huge footprint on my heart.

After Adam and I moved to Los Angeles we ended up in a little shack in Venice Beach. We kept blowing through roommates. They were either Adam's family or friends. After our 3rd roommate lost, I took over the task of finding a new one. I posted an ad at Santa Monica college where I was studying. It was written in all different colors of crayon. A guy named John answered the ad. He was kind of a quiet fellow with a warped sense of humor-He was perfect. I loved him. Soon after or right around the same time I met him, I met Candice. I was in my child development class and I was drawn to this girl next me. She had a crazy accent and talked about needing a "lou". After she told me she was from Africa I followed her out of class and pounded her with questions about Africa. (yes, even back then 16 years ago-I was nuts about Africa) The three of us quickly became inseparable. Where was Adam? Even back then he was always working or rehearsing with his band. John, Candice and I had some grand adventures. It seems John was always rescuing Candice and I from something. They were always there for me. When Adam and I had our second wedding(first public wedding) John was my best man and Candice was my best woman. When I was in labor with Jace they were both in the room with me for 24 hours. John videotaped while Candice directed him what the camera needed to be pointed at. She would say in her beautiful accent, "John the baby is not coming out her face, you need to put the camera down there". After Jace was born the three of us drifted apart. Candice went through some extremely difficult times and John kept walking down the path of life. I never forgot about them.
Thanks to facebook, this week I got to talk to Candice after 13 years. She shared with me the journey she took. Words cannot begin to express how incredible I think she is for the decisions she has made. I will always love this woman with everything I have. I also found John through facebook this week. I have yet to speak with him on the phone, but I delighted to know he is doing well.
I was extremely nervous to put myself on Facebook in the beginning. I probably will still never use my maiden name for reasons I may share in the future, but for now I'm rejoicing in the reunions I have had.

Candice and myself before Adam took me to my first opera.

Hanging out in the delivery room.

I loved photography. John and Candice were always letting me dress them up and take pictures. The weird sponge head was named Fred the Head.

After the huge earthquake in Ca. Candice and I joined AmeriCorp we worked with kids in the valley who had a traumatic experience during the quake.

John in our apartment in Venice Beach. The white face in the corner is a plaster cast of my face that Adam made. The painting of the face to the left was something I did. That was my dog Bear. He was awesome, he was my great defender and also my transportation. I would stand on my skateboard and he would pull me wherever I wanted to go.