The Greeks & The Greatest
Some people spend their whole lives searching for their other half. I can’t remember life without mine.
In Greek mythology, the original “humans had four arms, four legs, and two faces. As was typical for godly men back in the day, Zeus threw a bit of a fit and decided humans were no good. The gods thought maybe they should destroy the humans with lightning, but Zeus, being the narcissist he is, thought the gods would miss being worshiped. So Zeus had this brilliant idea to split the humans in half so they each had only one face and one set of arms and legs. The new humans were miserable and spent the rest of their days searching for their other halves because they did not feel complete without them.” I originally shared this story with the attendees at my sister Cassidy and her husband Collin’s wedding reception. With tears running down my cheeks and my abs sore from laughter, I continued:
“Now, I know where you think I’m going with this. Collin and Cassidy are soulmates, and they’ve found their other halves, and it’s so romantic. And yeah, that’s great and all. But when the term soul mates originated, it didn’t always mean romantic partners, but two people who have an unspoken understanding of each other and feel content in the other’s presence. So forget what you know about love and weddings because Cassidy is my soulmate. She’s my person, my other half. I don’t have to say a word and she knows exactly what I’m thinking. She eats the crusty edges of the Cowboy Country store cookies and leaves the gooey center all to me. She eats caterpillars because I tell her she’ll get superpowers and then continues to love me even when she realizes the superpowers aren’t coming. She has more faith in me than I have in myself. She’s my road trip partner, my chauffeur, my cheerleader, my drill sergeant, my dance partner, my co-adventurer, and my best friend.”
Everything I have ever accomplished, good or great, I accomplished because Cassidy was there to push me and pump me up, from traveling around the world to planting myself in Hettinger. Even creating this blog, which has required more bravery and vulnerability than I ever would have imagined, happened only after she had quieted every “what if” that held me back. For as long as I can remember, she has been my tandem instructor, coaxing me toward the ledge, pushing me to make the jump, and catching me as I fall.
Now, however, it is her turn to jump. I’m ecstatic to announce that Cassidy will be sharing some of her writing with Realizing Rural in the coming months. Cassidy doesn’t often share her writing with the world. But she is brilliant, and her writing is poignant. I’m proud of Cassidy for the creativity she will infuse into her writing and the courage she will muster to share it with you, and I hope you will be too.
