Lithuania and Ukraine were both part of the Soviet Union before it broke up. I was born in Ukraine in 1991, after it was back to being an independent country. My friend was born one year earlier, a month after Lithuania declared its independence. We come from the same roots, and although we may not understand our shared history, we feel it in our bones. She probably understands me better than anyone I've ever met. She gets my crazy, because she's crazy too. The kind of crazy that believes some forces are beyond our control. That can't help but listen when the universe is sending a message. The kind of crazy that takes chances and sometimes gets the message wrong. The kind of crazy that looks past logic and rationality just because of a feeling. Few people understand or appreciate that kind of crazy. Few people appreciate passion, it scares them. So I've learned to tone it down, most of the time. But I don't have to with her, I can be all the crazy I want.
She breathes crazy, and she's one of the most passionate people I've ever met. I feel that she is my sister, so I feel obligated to preserve that while she figures things out. Life hasn't thrown her easy cards lately, and when you feel everything intensely it's harder to deal with a bad hand. I worry that she's not going to get as much out of life as she deserves. Right now what she deserves is for someone to take care of her, to listen to her, and I can do that. I want to do that. Isn't that what were all here for? To take care of each other? It's not a stupid idea. People need to appreciate other people more, myself included.
That was a little heavier than I had planned but my point is that I have found a sister in an unexpected place, and that sometimes you need to leave your comfort zone to find what you're looking for.
