Introduction
This is not a typical blog post that I write. I actually didn’t even write this post. This is written by my good friend, Michelle Fruhschien, of Mama Bear for Rare. She writes an incredible blog that you should check out about her experiences as a mom with a child who has a rare disease. The story that she has written is about the directions that life has taken both of us and how we have still grown our friendship after all of this time.
~ Sarah Kornblum
Fated Friendship
This friendship was fated from the start. We met when we were both hired to work at the same school. We found out that our classrooms were right next to each other. Then, we found out we were both earning our master’s degrees and were enrolled in the same classes.
Our friendship grew as we spent so much time together right from the beginning. Killing time before class, chatting in the mornings before work started, and car rides to and from graduate school. But then, our job positions changed and our rooms were moved to opposite sides of the building.
Changing Friendship
As friendships sometimes do, ours changed. We kept in touch and checked in with one another, but we weren’t side-by-side as often. But we always had a wonderful foundation of a solid relationship.
I found out that Sarah was moving out of state and starting her own business. I thought, Wow! Good for her – I am so impressed. I knew she would be successful as her incredible work ethic, determination, and creativity have always been apparent. Coding and creating websites were not in my realm of need, or so I thought.
Where to go from here
Fast forward about a year…we were in the thick of a global pandemic and I welcomed my second child into the world. What whirlwind. After months of tirelessly fighting for my child, I finally received news that she had a rare diagnosis; Jordan’s Syndrome.
I was not sure where to turn, but one night, as I lay in bed, alone with my thoughts, I found the tears that were trickling down my cheeks turn into words on a page.
I instantly felt relief for I had finally put into words, the raw and vulnerable emotions I was experiencing.
Do I share this with the world? This was, after all, the most personal account of my year. I decided that it was time – time to share my story.
So, I made the leap. I reached out to Sarah knowing she had experience and expertise in the field of web design. She loved my content and said that it could really be something. I asked for her help building and creating my website.
It was incredible to see what she could do with just a simple blog entry, some emotions spilling out of me, and her ingenuity.
The most beautiful website was created. I had so much room to create. And that, I did. My Instagram and other social media platforms also grew with her guidance, but also her advice, and most importantly, her friendship.
new beginnings
Now, it is rare to find us not speaking or checking in with each other. We send each other previews of our work, Instagram Reels, or just to say hi and share our successes.
Collaborating with her business has been such a blessing because it has brought us back to the beginning of the first days when we spent all our time together.
We may not live in the same state, but our fated friendship has brought us such a special gift of collaboration, inclusivity, and a continued, beautiful friendship.
