Who is Syd?

Syd, as seen through the eyes of her childhood friend, Patricia:

Who is Syd? Well, she’s my best friend. She’s absolutely amazing. She’s beautiful, she’s smart, she’s strong, she’s not afraid of anything or anyone. Well, anyone except maybe herself.

I think if you asked her, she’d say no one really likes her ... that they just kind of tolerate her presence, well, everyone except me, of course. She knows I pretty much worship the ground she walks on. But, the truth is, people are just a little afraid of her. They’re intimidated by her. It’s frightening to get too close to someone like Syd, someone so ready to look life, and death for that matter, straight in the face and not blink an eye or turn away.

Syd’s just that way, though. It’s like she puts so much effort into living, that the dying just doesn’t even matter. Or the possibility of failing, either. Or anyone else’s opinion, especially if it’s not a good one. All that normal stuff everyone else spends their days and nights stewing over and worrying about, it just doesn’t even enter into Syd’s take on reality.

One of her biggest gifts is her ability to just sit down at the table and drink this moment down. She may sprinkle a little salt and pepper on it to give it a little kick, but then she just takes it in one bite at a time. And when she’s done, she just pushes her chair back, gets up from the table, and walks away. No excuses. No need for seconds. No worries about when or where her next meal will be.

Yeah, it probably sounds a little lame, but Syd’s my hero. She’s my “Life-101” mentor. That’s the me I’d like to grow up and see looking back at me out of the mirror one day.

Who is Syd? She’s my best friend ... Thank God!