I write a lot about people who have amazing friends, and the teenagers in my books seem to naturally know how to be good friends, despite their flaws and challenges. They are there to help and rescue if someone needs rescuing. They are there to tell the truth and the hard truth if a friend needs to hear it. They are there to share a laugh or words of encouragement when one of them needs help moving forward. They are there to celebrate each other and the dreams and milestone they each achieve. And most important, together, they are infinitely powerful.
The heroine in my current Young Adult series has superpowers, but the reality is, she will never become a superhero without the right friends to help her figure out the world, guide her the right direction, and make sure she doesn’t get overwhelmed and take on too much alone. That way leads to madness! As it does it real life—though we don’t always realize it. That’s why we need friends.
In the first book, GLIMMER, the heroine has no friends, until someone comes along, sees that she is in need, and reaches out in a surprising moment that changes both their lives forever. I think that’s what friends do. In the moment when you think you are alone, they reach out and surprise you—because they are the ones who see us best and know what our cry sounds like without us ever making a sound.
As I finish up GLISTEN, book two in the Black Swan Files, I find myself often stopping at the end of one my scenes with the friends and texting my own friends. It’s so easy for me to get caught up in my personal goals, family needs, and daily chores that I find lately I’ve forgotten to live the thing I’m actually writing about—the greatest superpower is a true friend!
If you haven’t heard from one of your friends in a while, take a moment today to send them a text or give them a call. Remind that fabulous person that they are amazing and have played an important role in your life. Set up a coffee or dinner to catch up. Through all that life serves up, it’s the friends who show up that are the true heroes in our stories. And that kind of power can beat anything.
Until next time,
Tricia Cerrone
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