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Written By: Felecia Causey
Photos By: Felecia Causey
Friend isn’t a label I hand out lightly. It’s not something I give just because someone has been around for a long time. For me, a friend is someone who loves you for who you are, treats you like family, and never looks at what you have, the color of your skin, or where you come from. That’s what a real friend is, and that’s exactly who she was to me.
No, we didn’t talk every day, every week, or even every month, but it didn’t matter. The connection was still there, untouched, unchanged. She never expected anything from me. She never asked for anything. And when we did see each other, it felt like a breath of fresh air. I didn’t have to pretend. I didn’t have to shrink or worry about being judged. People throw the word “friend” around so easily, yet so many don’t show the qualities that truly define it. The quickest way to my heart is loving my kids, and she did that effortlessly.
One thing I can say without hesitation is that she loved her kids and her family deeply. And I loved them too, because they made it easy.
Our last phone call was just us catching up, talking about the kids, life, and everything in between. When I visited, we’d grab a glass of wine and head down to the deck to watch boats drift by and dolphins glide through the water. We’d sit in the cool breeze talking about motherhood, husbands, family, and life. I’m sure we gave each other an earful. We didn’t visit often, but when we did, I could exhale. I shared things with her that I couldn’t tell anyone else. She would just stare, listening. She was outspoken, trust me, she had things she wanted to say, but she held them and let me talk.
She and her husband gave me so many firsts: My first plane ride to one of my dream locations. My first surprise engagement session. My first destination wedding on Malibu Beach. My first stay in a beach house, their home.
These weren’t people I shared blood with, yet they treated me like family in every way that mattered.
My heart is broken. I went back and forth about writing this because I wanted to be respectful to her family. But as I sat in my car the other day, reading our last text messages, I choked up. The reality hit me, I will never see her again.
I pray God opened His arms wide for her. I pray He took away every pain, every worry. And I hope she knew how amazing she was to me. In my book, she will always be the friend who let me speak freely, who listened without judgment, and who held space for me when I needed it most.
If you’d like to read more about her and her beautiful family, visit Heartfelt Connection Beyond Looks and Blood: The Silverman on my site.