I Wish......

In less than 12 hours my baby, my little girl, will walk across a stage and shake the Principal's hand and be handed a piece of paper, and in about 90 minutes, 13 years of classes, and papers and homework will all come to an end. How is this possible? This is going to sound so cliche, but where does the time go? I swear it was just yesterday that I was worried that if I got a new job that I had interviewed for that I might not be able to watch my baby get on the bus for her very first day of kindergarten. I can still see her in that denim, jumper and purple striped shirt with her, as she has dubbed it, her Dora the Explorer haircut. So much has happened in these 13 years. Lots of ups, a few downs, but always, we went through them together. I'm not going to turn this post into a bragfest. I have written many times about how proud I am of her accomplishments. What I will make this about is what I wish for her. I wish that she will always see how incredibly beautiful she is, and no matter what, that will never change because her beauty shines from the inside. I want her to realize how very talented she is and be confident in what she has to offer. More than anything, I want her to be happy with her choices in life and love and relationships. She has so much to offer as a friend, a wife and, yes, even a mother, someday...NO RUSH, and I mean that. I wish that she will always know that I am here for her no matter what, even if she thinks that what she's going to tell me will make me mad or disappointed, I want her to know that she can tell me ANYTHING. I hope that she will always look back on her childhood as a happy one even with its financial struggles and being raised in a single parent home. I hope that she will look back on the mistakes I have made and remember that most of the time I owned up to them and apologized. I hope that she will remember that I didn't just hear her, I listened to her. More than anything I wish for her true success, the kind that comes from doing what you love and doing it well. So, my sweet girl, as you enter this next phase of your life, make the choices that make YOU happy, even if everyone around you tells you you are foolish. You are so bright, and you, and only you, know the best path to take. Thank you for letting me be on the path with you these past 13 years, and as you now walk ahead, know that I am right behind you. Love you hug you!

♪♫ If You're Ever in a Jam, Here I Am ♫♪

I am late with this post as I had wanted to post it on her actual birthday, April 17th, but Easter kind of got in the way. Last Thursday, my best friend turned 50. I turned the corner on that milestone 6 months ago, and she was right there to share it with me which is no surprise, as she has always been there for me. She is my best friend. Now, a lot of people say they have many best friends, but I can't get on board that train. If we really searched ourselves and were truthful we could all pinpoint one person that good times and bad are the one person we know we can count on. They know EVERYTHING about us, and they are still our friend. In fact they have probably been there for several of the most embarrassing moments of our lives. My best friend is no exception! I met her in my first year of middle school, 7th grade in 1976. I firmly believe that middle school is the seventh level of Hell. We are thrown together in a totally new environment where we have to change classes and remember locker combinations and the evil of all evils (cue ominous music) change for gym class. Stir into that pot a big helping of hormones, and you have the recipe for chaos and disaster. Because of this lethal combination, I think this is when we form our strongest bonds with friends as we are clinging to each other for survival as we navigate the dangerous waters far from the protective Armada we called elementary school. My middle school was a campus style school, so as we arrived each morning we would have to wait outside leaning against the wall of our homeroom. This is where I first met Lisa. I can still see her, long blond hair, glasses. I don't even remember how or what caused us to meet, but we became fast friends and spent most of 7th grade inseparable. We even had a crush on the same guy. Remember that thing about embarrassing moments? She and I shared a major one in Middle School. We had both been cast in the Drama Club's production of "Little Women," she as Meg and me as Jo. When opening night came we had never been through the whole show, not even once. I'm not even sure we had read the script all the way through. To this day I don't know how we got through it. I think we actually just made up the ending on the spot. We laugh about it now, but back then we were terrified. On to high school and we had Honors Biology together. I have no idea what I was thinking signing up for that torture. We sat at lab tables, and when we would have tests, the class was asked to move to the ends of the table so we couldn't cheat. Many times Lisa and I would read the first question silently and simultaneously look up at each other with that all too familiar look of horror indicating that neither one of us had the slightest idea how to answer the question. I barely squeaked by in that class. We did shows together,  created a French meal together and had sleepovers, and she even went on vacation with me. We spent countless days at Kings Dominion and acted out their show "Hooray for Hollywood" in her living room. Did I mention embarrassing? Over the last 38 years we have had our ups and downs. We even went through our first pregnancies together as her children are only 3 weeks younger than mine. At the darkest time in my life when I suspected that my marriage was about to fall apart, I called her, and after working a weekend shift at her job, she came over to sit with me and try to distract me from the hell my mind was going through. When my marriage was finally over, and I had nothing, she and her husband showed up with huge amounts of food to help us through. When my dad died and then shortly after that, my grandmother, she was right there with food and helping hands at the house as my sister and I were busy with other arrangements. We can go months without seeing each other and get together and pick up conversation like we talked on the phone the day before. I know she will always be there for me, and I for her. She's beautiful and smart and fun, and I love her, and I am sure we will be friends until we're so old we can't remember each other's names, and I am so glad! So..Happy Birthday, BEST FRIEND! Here's to 50 more!