365 Days Of Love. Day 43

I met Jesika the first time I was in Haiti. She arrived at the HAC compound the day before I left. Per her own nonprofit, she had been to Haiti several times and was very familiar with the compound community. In an effort to be absolutely honest (and give this story the credit it deserves), I thought Jesika hated me when I first met her. Every question I asked was returned with a terse response. Eventually, I stopped asking questions and offered simple smiles when I saw her in passing. Either out of social pressure or a desire to make amends, I friended Jesika on Facebook after I returned to the States.

So many of Jesika's Facebook pictures and status updates were about Haiti and Transparency (her own nonprofit). I knew she loved Haiti and the people, I knew she had been captivated by them just like I had. The imaginary veil my insecurity initially established between Jesika and I started fluttering, sheering out of a mutual desire to see Haiti prosper.

One August morning, shortly before the school year started, I received a Facebook message from a stranger, Hollie.

hi miss natalie! I couldn't help but notice you are friends with two of my most very best friends! Will and jesika! And they dont know each other so i am quite surprised! Very small world! just wanted to say hi. Cheers!

Hollie and I exchanged a few more messages and the puzzle pieced together like this

Hollie and Will dated a long time ago and have remained dear friends since then.

Will and I met in New Jersey and have been friends since

Hollie and Jesika worked together in LA and are still best friends

Jesika and I met in Haiti

After learning of these rare connections, I felt as if the Universe desired me to be close friends with each one of these people. The already thinning veil waving between Jesika and I tore in two. From being friends on Facebook, I respected her and her work in Haiti, but our absurd connection induced a desire to really get to know Jesika, to learn her story.

After I excused our first introduction as a result of my own insecurity, having nothing to do with her, Jesika and I started to be actual friends and I've grown to admire so much of what she stands for. Jesika has dedicated her life to empowering the people of Haiti. She works tirelessly to build connections that don't result in personal gain, but rather growth for the people of Haiti. She's given up countless things in her own life to build an organization dedicated to offering programs to Haitians that will help them sustain themselves and their communities.

Jesika embodies love for others, she transports it from the US to Haiti, from one community in Haiti to another, from the heats of people here to the hands of people elsewhere. I am indebted to the Universe for insisting that her and I be friends.

Jesika has taught me that loving is living for a cause.