"but its is how moments breeze together and how high life can take you.
"The focus is not how low you feel or how bad things are,
With these two friends, Present and Past, it was a reminder for the Future, not to worry.
Followed up with a beating, vibrant spirit (VALE)to lift my hopes and encourage.
God sent a kindred soul (IRA)that helped me breathe easier, like fresh air about feelings of loss.
After all the worry, on hair, transportation, and time everything was just as it should be.
The sky no longer dark, but bright and sparkling with stars and a moon glowing with promise.
Riding home the streets no longer lingered, but were open, wide, and clear.
it may be time to see what's out there...I leave for Paris soon, FYI".
Walking back to Ira's car, he stopped me and simply said, "You have the tools, and the signs,
After goodbyes and plans to catch up it was time to go.
His testimony had uplifted us in ways he might not have known, but it was right on time.
of that same old rush, only he can give filled our space.
past pushing us forward with his words of clarity. Refreshing, honest, and full
Here was a good friend to my left, at a similar cross-roads and blast from the
was the thought that drained the instant worry away.
"Just make a plan and make it happen, you can do it,"
Daydreams of travelling, of building an empire, and an unused passport at home, flooded my mind.
"She can go with you in your heart to all these places", was what I heard now in my mind.
an award show, and so on washed over me.
Immediately all the wishes and hopes to take my grandmother out of the country, or to fly her to
were his words. Always at a crossroads, even that day, it was exactly what I need to hear.
I go for it. Life is too short to wait, you have to make it happen, B",
"I do not wait on life to happen to me, what ever life has, that I want,
and were left in awe by his intrigue on life.
gasped at his terrible motor-cycle crash and self physical therapy to walk again,
and I sighed with glee at the descriptions of his 3 month stint in Europe,
with such vivacity and confidence. Sitting across the table Ira
he took us on a journey of where he had been, where he was, and where he was going
From biking to travelling, to crashing and learning to walk again,
It was exactly the lift both, Ira and I, needed in such a heavy time in our lives.
After intros and small talk,Vale, began to fill us in on all the many details of the years missed.
Greeting us both with a genuine smile and a seat offer, as usual the perfect gentleman.
very tired friend waiting patiently at a table.
A quick ride later, Ira and I , strolled in to the establishment to see my
Though at the time all this seemed random, it came full circle by the end of the night.
we rode and swapped memories and plans to travel overseas soon.
sent me a companion, who understood my pain. With our angels watching over us
the memory of(Sweeping Up Memories) , Berline Johnson, crept up the Lord had
Ira persevering and holding it together the same way I was trying to.Only a few days after
as well. The fresh air, could not compare to the, crispness and refreshing feeling it was to have
. With the recent loss of my grandmother I could hear the resilience, but heartache
so soon after he had just lost his mother
To my shock and dismay, he opened up about the recent loss of his beloved sister,
me to my destination, the life saver he is.
Not hearing of dropping me near a cab, he insisted on taking
"Why the HELL are you at the bus?" There was no reply, only a wave from inside gesturing me in.
Elated with joy to see my lovely and poised friend I proceeded to the car, and he with the words,
signaling me over scared him and the other night crawlers away.
toothless possible, about to spit a pick up-line. Luckily the bright flash of Ira's headlights
NO! Better! It was, Ira, familyfriend, fashion consultant, and the ride saving my ass from a,
of hope streaked across. A knight in shining armor? A fairy god mother?
As if a writer in the sky heard the silent groan of disappointment after all my efforts, a blinding flash
the dreaded phone call, and give the lame excuse of being stranded.
running 20 minutes behind, withno bus in sight, it was now time to make
So worried I'd impose on said friend. Standing at the bus stop at 10pm at night,
Vale, pick me up. No, of course I chose the roundabout way to order a cab.
Though he had offered, I declined the smarter choice of having,
be thrown in on the long awaited meeting of two childhood friends.
After a wardrobe malfunction, a hair disaster, and a taxi no show, the towel was ready to
he would be as a grownup. Seeing him recently I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome.
him. Fall after fall, he never gave up until he mastered it. Even as a child I wondered then how
The same not said for, Vale. On a dirt bike flying down the street was always where you could catch
Thus, avoiding another scraped elbow or dirty dress. The worry pattern, had set in for me.
it would always end, in me with all my padding on, taking it easy on skates and cautious paths
and sent his teachers in a frenzy.While the thrill of excitement opened my girlish curiousness,
There had always been this spark of success and free will about, Vale , that captivated his peers
A childhood friend, we had lost touch over the years on and off again.
my friend, Vale Gajic, is a person of pure positive energy inside and out.
Energy, magnetism, and a boyish charm that draws in anybody he meets,
Film: Jackson made his first big screen appearance in the 1997 film
Soul Food,[3] and since has appeared in films such as Deliver Us From Eva, The
Temptations, Uninvited Guest, Motives and Flip the Script.
