On Finding Your Best Friend
One of the greatest joys in life is making a best friend; especially when you become friends as close as Cara alumni LaTanya and Deirdre. The two are inseparable and both attribute their success – in recovery, while at Cara, and now in their career – to having each other to lean on. We hope their story will inspire you to call your best friend today.
LaTanya: Deirdre and I became friends the day she arrived at SisterHouse. The beginning of our friendship is actually a pretty funny story. Deirdre was going to stay in either my room or the other available room. The morning she was supposed to come, I was getting the room ready, and I ended up being late for meditation. This got me into big trouble. And then, when Deirdre came, she didn’t end up staying in my room!
But even though I got into trouble, from that point on, I always wanted her to feel welcome. It can be scary coming to a recovery home where you don’t know anyone. We lived with 20 women, and I wanted to be the person who was there to welcome her.
Deirdre: LaTanya was ready to welcome me and show me the ropes. I liked her from the moment I met her and knew she was going to be my friend. During our time at SisterHouse, anything we could do together, we did together. I knew I could be myself with her.
LaTanya and Deirdre, Cara Alumni BFFs
Deirdre: LaTanya taught me about what a BFF is – I didn’t even know that meant best friends forever. We live in a society where it can be hard to find someone to connect with, but our similar circumstances brought us together and kept us together. When I had the opportunity to come to Cara, I came back to SisterHouse every day to share the things I learned with LaTanya. I hated that she wasn’t there with me; we did everything together.
LaTanya: I didn’t come to Cara until about a year later. But because Deirdre told me what to expect, I didn’t get overwhelmed. She helped me understand that the true meaning of Cara is friend; it doesn’t just exist to help you get a job. With her encouragement, I never gave up. I became the first hire at a volunteer-only Cara partner, made one year on the job, and saw my name on Cara’s Great Wall. I’m now a member of Cara’s staff. None of it would have been possible had I not received Deirdre’s insights and encouragement that motivated me to hang on and succeed.
Deirdre: I wanted to share Cara with LaTanya because everyone at Cara shared themselves with me. This community helped me get to where I am now, and I thank them for guiding me into a career. A few years ago, I never imagined that I would be where I am today.
