A few years ago, my friend Tonya kept me sane through games of Words with Friends. Seriously. I would wake in the middle of the night and she would have played a word. I would play my turn. A few seconds later, she had played her turn.

Can’t sleep either, huh?

I never really do.

Same.

Go be awesome today.

You too.

Those were the types of conversations we would have. They were light hearted, but I knew she was there in spirit.

I looked forward to these moments.

She was a constant in the game. Methodical. Checking in periodically to say hello. Trusting the process. Putting in the work.

She always puts in the work in everything she sets her focus on.

Maybe it was just a game to her. For me, it was a moment that I looked forward to. A moment that gave me strength to make it through another day.

Tonya, thank you for these moments.