Per Aspera Ad Astra

Some friendships don’t need explanations or constant presence — they simply are.
Like a warm blanket for chilly mornings — just knowing it’s there brings comfort, even if you’re not using it right now.

Mona was that kind of friend for me.

In middle school, when the world was just beginning to open up and I was still searching for myself, she appeared.
Our friendship required no effort — it was natural, genuine, and full of light.
With her, I could simply be — vulnerable and real.
We spent countless hours talking, writing in our journals, sharing secrets and heartache.
When the atmosphere at home felt heavy, she was my place to breathe.
She didn’t rescue me, but she held space for me.
And sometimes, that is the greatest kind of saving.

Sometimes friendships don’t break — they simply fade with time.
Ours did too, quietly, different schools, new interests, separate lives.
Silence came without conflict, but Mona’s impact remained.
Even today, years later, her name still brings a soft warmth to my heart.

She was my first real experience of trust —
the kind that doesn’t require constant proving that you’re worthy.
And that knowing never left me.

My friendship with Mona taught me something I carry to this day —
that real connection doesn’t vanish, even when paths diverge.
Some people aren’t meant to stay forever — they’re meant to guide you.
And sometimes, that guidance is exactly what you need most.

When I think of her now, I don’t feel sadness — only gratitude.
The time we shared was a gift.
It showed me that true friendship can be soft, warm, and honest —
and even if it doesn’t stay, it can leave a mark that never fades.

“Some friendships are like spring rain —
they don’t last long, but they help something inside us grow.”

Dedicated to Mona

For being there for me just when I needed someone most.
Your presence in my childhood was a gift I’ve only come to fully appreciate now.
You taught me what true friendship means —
the kind that doesn’t always need words, that’s sincere, and that stays in your soul
even when life pulls you in different directions.
Thank you for being one of those people whose trace will forever live inside me.