How The Universe Almost Tore in Half

The sun was setting over the Andaman Sea and I was left, curled up on my beach chair, imbibing the last bits of afternoon. The beer was warm, most familiar faces had retreated in search of food, and the light was fleeting, but the sun still lingered above clouds, almost stationary above this spinning world. It was the kind of sunset where the sun appears as this perfect disk - bright, vibrant, and blazing as it gently lowers itself to the horizon. I sat with my friend, Tim, staring towards the west, captivated by the array of color that was being thrown around the heavens, though the wind played with sand on the beach and whipped it around us. Taking out my little notebook, I began to recount my feeling of a growing happiness within me - an unprecedented level of happiness since my move to Thailand. It was beyond the span of 'just a good day', more than the bountiful distractions that tell me I should be in a constant state of bliss, or the feeling I get from drinking a lot one night and laughing harder than I have in awhile. This happiness was based on a building sense of contentment. Of worthiness. Of acceptance. It was as if everything made sense and was coming together simultaneously. I felt calm and engulfed in a placid stream of emotions and stillness, parted only by the sound of Thai children running loose on the beach and their parents, shouting commands in Thai as they herded the young ones away from the crashing waves and towards the town again. I paused in my writing and Tim turned to me to inquire about a Facebook status I had put up earlier.

"So you posted, today, that it is your friend's birthday," he said in an open-ended way, referring to what I had written about my friend, Travis, for his birthday. I had typed: 

"Happy Birthday to...probably the most incredible person in the entire universe, Travis Risner! I feel so blessed to even be able to call you my friend and a best friend at that. You have changed my life in so many ways and I am so thankful for you. I wish we were able to celebrate this quarter century mark together, but I know that we will make up for it in the future. I love love love love youuuu. Happy Birthday, Trav."

I responded to Tim in a matter of fact kind of way, "yeah, my best friend." 
While facing the sky, my thoughts were immediately entwined with memories of Flagstaff, growing up, finding myself, and discovering the meaning of friendship alongside those who were also learning how to love. 

Tim, quiet for a moment and gazing into the distance as if letting his mind also drift, came back with, "it's my best friend's birthday today, too." He turned towards me, "the 31^st, right?" he asked.

Distractedly, I answered, "25^th."

Tim tried again, "I mean, his birthday is the 31^st?"

"Yeah, twenty-five on the 31^st...," I answered, though I was still off in a type of dream world.

"Wow," Tim exclaimed and stared right at me, "my best friend is also turning twenty-five on the 31^st."
I was snapped out of my trip down memory lane then. I looked right back at him and in an almost quizzical way, reconfirmed the magnitude of our discovery.
"Holy shit, that's crazy, Tim. Wait - both our best friends are born on the same day?" 
I was flabbergasted. I sat almost dumbstruck as I wondered, "What are the odds that I would find myself in Thailand, sharing a moment in a fantastic and inspiring location, reminiscing about life and the path that led me here, with someone who also has a best friend, also living in a far away location, who is also celebrating their 25th birthday?"    

"Yeah," Tim agreed, laughing as he spoke, "but, my best friend is also a ging-....wait!" 
Our eyes locked. The energy around us felt like the universe was ripping in half - like an earthquake building. We were rippled with laughter, so great and magnificent that I laughed like I was with my sister in the car and we were driving my parents nuts with our ridiculousness. I laughed like there was no one around me. I laughed like I was accepted and loved. I laughed like I was going to burst into a fountain of tears. I laughed until I had to wipe actual tears from my cheeks!

"Holy shit," I choked, "my friend is ginger too!"

We threw our heads back and roared with laughter. The kind of laughter that is fueled by the other person's continued laughter. Uninhibited laughter! The side splitting hilarity of the situation sent us both into tears.

"Both our best friends are ginger, and born on the 31^st, and turning 25 today!" Tim cried.
"Holy shit! Holy shit!" I managed to get out while gripping my ribs.

"I don't even know what to think after that. Oh my god, I'm crying," Tim proclaimed - gasping between laughs.

"I know! Me too!" 
I was spluttering. Then, I declared, "I'm just going to let that one sit out there! I don't know what to say!" 

I was still laughing to myself, shaking my head, as the sun slid beneath the edge of the world. We slowly regained our composure and our maddening laughter simmered to Cheshire cat smiles. I felt happy. I felt loved. I felt friendship. I felt like the whole damn universe was about to split at the seams. Even now, I don't know what this means, but I have a pretty good feeling that our friends should never meet...