Soul Friends

‘Soul Friends’

© 2017 by Shiloh Moore

8×10″ Watercolour on Paper

 

Sometimes you meet someone who you click with, who ‘gets you’. Somehow, though you’ve travelled different life paths, you come together and connect deeply. You laugh together, share your hopes, dreams, fears and frustrations, and then you laugh some more.

 

In recent years I am fortunate to have made an extraordinary friend like this. She too has ME/CFS – very severely, and is bedridden. I met this friend online over 5 years ago. What captured my attention was her sense of humour, resilience, and sense of gratitude and compassion. We talk usually by text from our beds, as that’s all we have energy for. In recent times we’ve been able to talk more often.

 

Recently, after years of being housebound and rarely able to go out, as soon as I felt well enough to, my folks drove me to visit – and meet – her. I lay on a mattress on the floor of her room and we rested, then chatted, rested, then chatted some more. It was a surreal, moving, life affirming and very hope-full experience. As you can see from this selfie-portrait, we laughed a lot! It was a genuine, heartfelt, ‘I have a cheek ache from smiling’ kind of occasion. We both took some time to recover from the effort and excitement, but it was thoroughly well worth it.

 

I painted this selfie with watercolours to commemorate our connection. Some meetings you never forget and I have a feeling this was one of them.

 

 

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