We shared a hotel room for those two days and I remember laying in the dark talking that first night. Some part of the conversation had us laughing and then moving into one of those moments of almost hysterical, can't breathe laughter! I think it was an epiphany moment for us resulting in connection and deep friendship. Perhaps our experiential background was from different planets, perhaps our current life presented challenges the other had no clue about, but we became good friends in those hours we shared. We were away from work, tucked together in a car, a hotel room or walking the halls of the conference center. We were bonding in a way no one would have anticipated.
That weekend had a huge impact on our next 11 years. Relationships and communication take a lot of time and effort; we were gifted with a jump start. Though the conference was about a data base system, it really became 11 years of love and support. It became 11 years of being able to finish one another's sentences. 11 years of holding one another up, of accountability, and of just 'knowing' when or how we could help out. It was 11 years of listening and caring. Holy Smokes I'll miss her!