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Would it be unfair to say that most people relate emotions to something physical? Let me explain. For example, the pink ribbon symbolizes breast cancer awareness or the yellow live strong band symbolizes “live strong” from Lance Armstrong the bicyclist who battled cancer.
What is it about something we can hold, or look at, something the symbolizes something we stand for that makes it easier to overcome something over bearing in our lives?
Seven years ago my best friends Dad died of a heart attack with absolutely no warning. Jon and I had been friends for several years prior to this and were more or less working toward investing feelings into each other. I always used to wear a pink ribbon in my hair that Jon would flirtingly always pull out of my hair and try and keep. I, flirting back would always yank it out of his hands and tell him that when I didn’t want it anymore he could have it.
Death is by far one of the hardest things for people to deal with but coming from the outside looking in it’s so hard to come up with the words to comfort someone.
Let’s face it, you don’t just see people walking around yelling, “I support breast cancer awareness”, or “live strong” for Lance Armstrong. Those things are symbolized in their own little ways and as was the pink ribbon I cut in half for Jon and I to have.
It has been seven years since Jon’s Dad died and seven years since I cut the ribbon in hopes to give Jon something to hold onto when things got tough. Jon still carries the pink ribbon in his pocket every day and my end of the ribbon is still in my wallet.
Something so simple to someone from the outside looking in, but something so meaning full to the two of us. But what makes the fact of having something physical to hang on to so enduring to those going through something life changing?
Jon, a couple years later told me that it was so comforting when he reached into his pocket and felt the ribbon there. The ribbon was something that would never leave him, unless he chose to of course. Jon explained that he was reminded every time he felt the ribbon that I was there for him and I would never leave his side.
The fact of the matter is that sometimes you don’t always have to have the right words to say, sometimes you just need to give someone something to hold onto, something physical so they can be reminded day in and day out that there is something to live for, stand for, or believe in.
Although me and Jon’s friendship is far from how it used to be, every time I reach into my wallet I’m reminded of a friend that will never leave my side, I’m reminded that there was once a time in Jon’s life when that ribbon was what helped him get up in the morning and what helped him fall asleep at night. Jon will always have a place in my heart just as the ribbon will always have a place in my wallet.