Yin & Yang

By Margaret Rose O’Malley

Photo provided by Margaret Rose O’Malley

There are two types of people: the one that shows up 10 minutes early and the one that shows up 20 minutes late. And they are best friends. The Yin and the Yang. Two perfectly different halves of the same circle. Each holding a piece of the other.

When I see my best friend Madison, I see that effortless balance. After eight years of friendship, I could not be more grateful to have felt the understanding and love that our friendship offers. Despite the distance and our inherent differences, we have been able to support and offer each other perspective as we move through life.

An ancient symbol of balance, the Yin and Yang is a symbol from early Chinese philosophy that was developed over thousands of years. It represents the idea of opposing yet complementary principles: the sun and the moon, man and woman, hot and cold. Inside of each is a piece of the other representing that one cannot be without the other and their coexistence.

I know I would not be who I am today without my best friend. Our approaches to life are different but I learn so much from her and know she learns from me. From observing Madison in so many situations, I’ve become more like her. While I’ve tended to be reserved and a little more shy most of my life, Madison is bubbly and socializes with ease. In nerve-racking social situations, I channel Madison’s energy. Even though I still do everything my way, I like to sprinkle a little bit of my best friend’s flair on it.

Sometimes I wonder if Madison and I were just able to develop this innate understanding over our many years of friendship but when I met her, I recognized her energy as a force of nature complementary to my own. We are non-biological sisters. Thank you for always bringing balance to my crazy.