The Upstairs Neighbor
There are neighbors who pass through our lives, better forgotten—like the Russian lady who screamed at her husband all the time—and then there are neighbors like you, who become part of our foundation for life.
When I think back, the Trio Condos are almost synonymous with the name Peg Madland. We lived one floor apart, but we essentially shared a home. We heard each other's laughter and tears. We checked in after the hard nights. We celebrated the funny ones. We worried about our boys. We worried about each other. We both worried far too much, really—and we understood that about one another.
I'll never forget watching you fearlessly salsa dancing in that little hidden cantina while I stood flat against the wall, convinced we were in over our heads in a seriously dangerous place. I'll never forget how much you loved Hunter when we first moved in, or how you loved Harley, even when loving him meant letting him go. Thank goodness Boo came along. He's been a keeper, always sitting quietly beside you—even in a restaurant. Somewhere along the way, we finally learned that Hunter, Tank, and Boo were the men who truly deserved us.
Without either of us really noticing, making art became one more way we took care of each other. You dreamed up rocks for me to paint, and I loved bringing your ideas to life. I still have my favorite—the one I painted from that ridiculous picture of you with your face covered in cleanser. Every time I see it, it makes me laugh.
Of course it wasn’t all fun.
I'll never forget sitting alone in my empty condo after one of my own spectacularly bad decisions, knowing you were just upstairs. I texted you, "This hurts so bad." You wrote back, "I know." Somehow, that was all I needed.
But life changed, as it does, and it carried us to opposite sides of the state. Our boys became wonderful men, their ups and downs dutifully reported out, and our visits have become occasional instead of spontaneous.
One thing, though, has never changed.
I still treasure the beautiful sketch you made of Hunter and Tank. Every time I see it, I'm reminded that you've always seen beauty the rest of us might have missed.
When I look back on that chapter of my life, you are woven into it. Thank you for being one of the people who made those years richer, funnier, safer, kinder, and more creative than they would have been without you.
Happy Birthday, my friend. Thank you for being my upstairs neighbor. I can't imagine those years without you.
With love,
Cheryl