Bridge to Terabithia

I just finished watching this magical, awe-inspiring film.  

And honestly, I've been sitting here for the last ten minutes trying to find the words to describe it and I just can't.

But, you know what it reminded me of?  Fifth grade.  It was after school, and my childhood best friend (who I'll call Jude after his favorite Beatles song) and I were sitting with our backs against the handball wall telling our usual stories about living in a gigantic mansion filled with kids that we adopted.  This huge mansion had a grand double staircase that we'd slide down from along with the two dozen kids.  The mansion had a music room with every musical instrument there is, and in the center of the room was a white grand piano.  For me.  Because I played the piano, and Jude sang.  We'd have concerts every night.  Jude loved music.  Especially the Beatles.  A day wouldn't go by without him singing me a song.  Our mansion also had a huge library filled with first editions of Dickens, Shel Silverstein, alongside the Encyclopedia Brown and Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators series.  I've always loved to read.       

Jude and I loved to tell stories.  I loved writing them.  While he wrote poems.  

It was those moments that it didn't matter that our (my) parents didn't agree with our friendship.  It didn't really matter that no one understood us.     

Because we understood each other.  We were twins in another life.  We both had this identical red dot on our palms to prove it.  

I remember that day we raced across the empty hallways, and repeatedly tried to perfect a home plate slide at the end.  We screamed and sang to the walls.  We were our own fans.  We were happy.  

Jude always told me I could be anything.                    

We were ten and eleven, but we really loved each other. 

Bridge to Terabithia reminded me of our friendship.  And it inspired me to embrace life.  To seek its possibilities.  To love fearlessly.  To dream.  And believe in them.  That's what Jude wanted for me.  That's what he saw in me.  And since he's no longer around, I have to do them for him.  For me.  For the memory of our friendship.  Live our dreams.  Enjoy and feel and experience this beautiful world and life that he didn't get a chance to.

Some childhood friendships are the most special ones.  In some cases, they have the biggest impact in our lives.  So much of who I was and who I have become is because of Jude.  

I miss him.