A Story of the Claudsta ;)

I felt my nerves acting up the minute I stepped out of the car.  Shaking feet, pounding heart, and racing thoughts, I made my way to the church door.  As I entered, I saw the familiar hallways and classrooms, but something was different.  It was the first day of Sunday school and I did not know anyone.  My mom walked me over to the door and said her goodbyes.  I opened the door, unsure of what I would find, and proceeded to find a seat.  I sat next to a girl, who seemed to be shy, and whom I would later find to be my best friend.  She didn’t say much at first, in fact no one did, I guess we were all nervous.  I decided to be brave and introduce myself by asking her what her favorite color was.  Hesitantly she answered, her favorite being purple, which surprisingly is mine.  The second she answered I realized we were going to get along.  Oddly enough, the year went by fast, and we grew closer and closer.  Nine years later, Claudia and I are still friends and are more involved in the Armenian community.

Over the years, Claudia had become a friend that I had learned to trust and confide in.  If I needed someone to talk to without fear of judgment, I would turn to her.  As a good friend, she supported me, even if Claudia did not agree with my decision.  After my brother passed away, she comforted me in ways no one else could.  Somehow Claudia understood my pain and managed to console me.  Although she could not relate to the grief I was going through, Claudia always had a way of making sure I was comfortable.  Never did she press the issue of talking, in fact, there were moments of silence where I felt the closest to her.  As a result of the silence, we bonded and became closer.  I believe Claudia’s support helped me tremendously to be strong enough to make it through a difficult time and grow as a person.

For my brother’s service, I had to once again make my way to the familiar wooden door of the church.  I realized I had the same nervous feeling, similar to the one I had on my first day of Sunday school.  As I listened to my priest speak about signs from above, I finally registered that I had one all along.  Luckily my sign was a best friend that I could use to lean on.  Claudia was always there for me, and as a result I learned to be a stronger friend in return.  Now, I know that I will always be there to support her the way she did for me.  While making all these epiphanies, I looked up to the altar, sitting in the pew, and looked to my side to find my best friend sitting beside me.  Just like the first day of Sunday school, which made me feel one choice, as simple as choosing a seat, can be life changing.