Krystal & Stephanie
I met Krystal and Stephanie one afternoon outside of the Chubby Bear bar in Chicago, on Clark Street, directly across from Wrigley Field. It’s a humbling experience to have an open and honest conversation about life and our hopes and desires with strangers you just met.
Krystal and Stephanie are both from Wisconsin and traveled to Chicago to catch a Cubs game. Krystal says she grew up a Cubs fan because her father is an ardent Cubs fan. Krystal is currently in a season of looking to start a new chapter in her life and enter the Peace Corps. Stephanie is in a season of learning, where she looks to grow as a person.
When I asked them both what piece of advice would they give their younger self, Krystal replied, “Study more and don’t take your education for granted.” Krystal is currently studying to become a nurse.
Stephanie paused for a moment then said ever so gently with love in her voice, “Tell my mom more, that I love her.” Sadly Stephanie’s mother passed away from respiratory failure nearly six years ago.
When asked what they want to do before they die they both replied, “ Go skydiving.”
After this brief yet beautiful encounter with Krystal and Stephanie, I was reminded that there is a bigger world outside of ourselves. That the man sitting next to you on the train ride to work, the barista at your favorite coffee shop, or in this case the strangers passing by on the sidewalk, their lives are so incredibly precious and unique. When we are so consumed with our needs, struggles, and at times ego, we become disconnected and oblivious to the life moving around us. We miss the opportunity to have a real genuine experience with another human being and share a laugh, a smile, a shoulder to cry on, and a connection. We become so desensitized that we are actually surprised when we hear the words “Me too,” when we open up to another person about our insecurities, fears, failures, and heartache. When someone recalls a difficult time in their past, as Stephanie had done, we are reminded that everyone has a past and a significant story to tell, and a purpose.
Thank you to the two beautiful souls, Krystal and Stephanie.
86 stories to go.
