I was driving only a few blocks from our housewhen I noticed a bridge
out of the corner of my eye,
down in a marshy area
about 100 feet from the road.
I had never noticed it before and,
since I love every bridge I cross,
I turned around and parked the car.
The non-descript bridge stretches across
a muddy creek with very little water,
but is surrounded by lush trees and marsh land.
As I took pictures of the unpainted structure,
I noticed a small section of color
at one end.
Graffiti, I assumed, or rotting wood.
But when I approached that
part of the railing,
I found it carefully painted in blue and brown,
and the words I saw
caught me by surprise:
BFF Bridge.
A best friends forever bridge?
How enchanting is that!?
I don’t know who christened this bridge
with such a sweet honor,
but the sight of it filled up my heart
with gratitude for friendship,
memories of childhood innocence,
hope for the future,
faith in kindness,
and a deep appreciation
for the many types of bridges
we all cross every day.
As we commemorate
the anniversary of 9/11 in the U.S.,
I dream of a world dotted with millions
of best-friends-forever bridges
to connect us all
and lift us up.
