"From Him"
A picture says a thousand words, but behind every face is a story that cannot be understood by a mere image.
Like a typical man her beauty drew me in. I liked every single picture before I built the courage to say a word. I was no stranger to her and neither was she to me, but gone was the girl I once knew, this was a woman that I knew nothing about. As the months and days went by, I came to know the real her—the girl outside of the pretty photos. The girl who’s anger when prodded rivals that of Hulk, but who is yet so loving that you ponder if she is the daughter of Aphrodite. The girl who can be so emotional that it leaves you quite stunned at how to respond, the girl who willingly pushes your buttons when you are already within the realm of anger and the girl who calls you back 5mins later to say how sorry she was. As I began to learn about her history the past years that we were not in touch, I understood why her emotions were the way they were. Struggles have a unique way of changing us, of either breaking us down or building us up and she underwent a transformation—one that has come a long way but still has a mountain to climb.
Now let me tell you about Ashly the cook and Ashly the baker...OMG. Her carrot and lemon cake are to die for and I suspect she puts her foot in it. *Ponders* She usually says to me “You only come to see me for your belly,” well truth be told the belly is an extra incentive to travel 2hours and a half in frigid temperatures to see my favorite person.
Lately I have experienced a reduction in her hearing and it has forced us to adapt. I admit that it was no easy task at first. I spent many nights (currently also) learning Basic Sign Language to help in communicating when in public… the process of which was quite fun when doing it together. Sometimes when it doesn’t workout we whip out the phones and make life easier. I've come to know that patience is key and if you really care for someone you will go above and beyond to make them happy and to help them cope with unexpected change. Ashly is definitely unique, unlike anyone I’ve ever met and unlike any situation I’ve ever dealt with. Being in her company has helped me to grow, to learn new things, to adapt to new situations and to embrace someone who is the complete opposite of who I am. I guess opposites do attract.