It was back in the second grade when I had left the church that I was at, San Jose Baptist Church where I was with my father, mother, and little brother. Along with my friends that I had made before I left. Not even saying goodbye, my family and I had just left, disappearing from their lives. We didn’t go to any church for a little over two years, when we found another church called Fruit Cove Baptist where we met our twin friends there once again. I was in the third grade when we moved over there and barely went to the church on the Sunday mornings. We were always there on the Wednesdays for Mares in Action and Royal Ambassadors, my brother Lightning Bolt loved being with the plethora of colts so then he could be a boy with them, and I was a little happy with the Mares in Action. I didn’t have very many friends there, just the twins.
When my father passed away when I was in the fourth grade was hard for me to surpass. The pastor of the church that we were currently going to was there but was there for the funeral. The pastor at San Jose Baptist came and said some words about my father when he knew him. And he carried on the day with all his love. Now as I think about it that could’ve been one of my cues that we should’ve came back. But with the memory weighing heavy on us still when he passed, we never really thought about it. And still went to that other church that we were at, at the time.
As time went on I met a mare named Star Note, she seemed like a nice mare. Her mother said that she had always liked me, but was too scared to talk to me. She and I were really great friends, until she got older with me. She and I were the same age, and were in the same grade. Star Note and I were such good friends, until the 6th grade. All of us were together and Star started to ignore me a lot, I couldn’t understand why she was doing this. I would try and talk with her at times so then I could get a conversation moving. But as soon as I would start, she would butt in or just change the subject as fast as she could. Then the second year I went to camp at the church I heard that she wasn’t coming, I felt disheartened, but not by much. At the campout I was talking to Blooming Ruby, and she told me that her mother had told her to never talk to me or her as long as we lived. Ruby and I were Star Note’s friends back in the very beginning and her mother hated us, possibly because we were not growing up! That hurt me, I wanted to ask about it, but I never did ask, it was too hard.
That second campout that I went to, was the last time that I went to that church in a long time. I didn’t have any more friends, they all grew up, and I stayed the same in my personality. Never changing who I was, I loved who I was back then.
In the middle of my seventh grade year I was invited to come to one of my friend’s churches to be a part of the Nightmare Night dance and meet some of the ponies there that my friend Lunario had always loved. I got the know them and enjoyed getting to be there with them. Soon after a few months later my family and I went to that church, Church of Crystal Empire. I loved it there, made many friends there. I had Lunario from the fourth grade before my father passed away, then there was Nightshade Lunario’s little brother, Graceful Sketch, Brushed Topaz, and Painted Thrill at the church that I can never forget. They were like my little posse at the church there, we were always there together, and were there for one another. But the church was split up by popularity choice, if you could call it that. I barely knew anybody there.
I invited my friend Jewel to come along and be a part of the Nightmare Night dance with me, and she came along with me. This was after Brushed Topaz had disappeared from our lives, without a trace left behind. She and I were peas and carrots together. Soon after she had left, my family and I slowly stopped going to the church because Lightning Bolt didn’t like the children’s group there because they weren’t wanting to learn anything and he really wanted to learn something. My mom was very uncomfortable and always got lost there in the church because it was so big to her. But I was happy there with my friends and knew everything there was to know about the church. I refused to leave. When we stopped going, that’s when I stopped asking about church, I wanted to go back but I knew it wasn’t going to happen. I didn’t get a chance to say farewell to them all.
During this we were constantly asked to come and see Mrs. Harmonic Wind sing in front of the whole church when we didn’t go to church at the time. We always had a great time going to see her sing at the church, but I still was uncomfortable coming back. The memories of my father kept coming to me, and it would hurt my heart. I tried keeping it away, but there were times in my mind that I would just explode.
Times were hard for us during the lulls of doing nothing, we would always be together, but I would think about church and what they were doing, and how much I was missing out on it.
Soon we came back to the church where it all began, I can never forget the day. My Aunt and Uncle Platinum Craft and Amber Pearl had come over for the winter before Hearths Warming Eve to spend some time with us foals. My mother wanted to see Mrs. Harmonic Wind sing at the church that Sunday, so we went and spent some time there. Lightning and I went into the youth group. Lightning was with the Middle school group and I was separated from him at the high school group. Mr. Prismatic Dance led me into the high school room and my mom went with Aunt Amber Pearl and Uncle Platinum Craft. When we trotted inside, we interrupted the session that was going on but they didn’t seem to mind. I looked around the room and saw a lot of ponies around, the first one that I noticed was Glowing Frolic whom I hadn’t seen in years practically. Mr. Lake Armor greeted me and pulled out a chair so I could sit behind him at the door. The entire group did the name game, I went last so then I could learn their names and then they could learn mine.
I have been there not even 7 months now and I have accomplished a lot. Gotten over the fear of ripping the band aid off, standing, let alone, singing alone in a large group. Every single one of them have taken me into the family. Not like it could’ve been like that from the beginning and me not knowing it at all. My shy temperament has slowly decreased and my nerves have decreased so much since sixth grade when it all was downhill. They have brought me back to my feet, and taken me in as a family from day one of my return. I can’t thank them enough for it all and I hope that someday, this story will help others in the future.
