A POEM

Lots of laughter, smiles and silly moments

Helping each other through hard times

When quarantine is over, I’ll be so happy to see everyone in person

But I’ll never forget how everyone became my BCM Buddies on Zoom this past fall

I’ll miss how Nikki and Saryn and everyone at Coffee Talk says good morning to me – especially Nikki and Saryn who say good morning like moms
I’ll miss Ellie talking about basketball, Bang, beautifully air-fried food and her adventures at Jewish summer camp
I love that we are there for one another if someone is having a hard time or a difficult day

I love that we have seen each other in our real everyday lives and that we embrace that

This year has been unusual – usually when you make a new friend, you are out in the world and that person may not get to see your life at home for a while, and you just being you

I’ll miss Alex freaking out about pretty crystals
And Kayla giving me life advice (Don’t get married!)

We BCM Buddies have seen each other in our pajamas, with crazy, messy hair
Wearing the same clothes for days

We have seen each other’s “I just woke up” faces
And we smile at each other

We have shared meals together
And good news
And funny stories
And embarrassing moments

We have laughed
And happy-cried
And sad cried too
We hug each other with our words and our eyes

We dance together and sing together
We have inside jokes together

I love hearing everyone’s stories and experiences
And meeting people’s family members / friends

Every day, we wake up and invite each other into our lives
Instead of starting out in public, we started out in our private homes

You have seen me in my colorful world
You have seen me be super excited
You have seen me cry
You have heard me make my noises
And eat lots of string cheese
And talk about how I want a girlfriend really bad – Or so I think

Many of these things make me self-conscious
But with you all, I don’t feel as much that way

I hope that someday I can :

See Alex’s Hot Wheels
And dance with Endalé
And cook with Ellie
And laugh with Kayla
And color with Karina
And speak Spanish with Hannah
And bake with Saryn
And make bracelets with Beckie
And look at crystals with Dee

And go to a Blazers game with Melinda and Ellie
And go to Trader Joe’s with Ellie, Nikki and Beckie
I can’t wait to go on adventures in real life
But until then, I will look forward to waking up and being able to see my friends from my bed
The view is honestly pretty awesome from here!

— by Nirvana Fairbanks, January 2021