Monday, November 15, 2010

What I Should Have Said

Last week I hosted a small birthday soiree for my girlfriend. I also spent three of the five day week at home because I wasn't well enough to leave the house. Fever, sore throat, pounding headache - not a great combo when you have 15 women showing up to celebrate. Working in my favor was that I had sent invites for a "Cozy Night In". Definitely better than a dance party, but still some work for my temporarily limited entertaining abilities. There was no way I would back out so I got all souped up on Dayquil and had a couple of glasses of sangria. Let me just say - not my finest work.

After cleaning the popcorn maker for about three hours on Sunday I realized that the reason it was smoking and dripping butter from the doors was because I never bothered to put the lid back on it. That would have certainly helped. Around the same time I was cleaning the popcorn maker I found the appetizers and ingredients for the creme brulee shots that I never served. Maybe next time.

My girlfriend and her girlfriends insist it was fun and that it was really gracious of me to host. I said multiple times that it was my pleasure. And truly, it was. The guest of honor is "That Friend" to me. That Friend is the one you would call in the middle of the night when you've made a bad choice and need to discuss it with someone immediately. The one that could see you in all your naked UNglory and choose to compliment you on your new eye shadow. The one that holds your hand through the very darkest moments when no one else dares approach. Yep, That Friend. And if I'd had all my wits about me I would have made a toast to That Friend to celebrate her birthday in this year of her life. I really meant to, but the sentiment got lost somewhere in the custom playlist, forgotten shots and failed game plan.

To you, my friend. "That Friend". A toast in honor of your birthday

Ten years ago we had been working together for about 6 minutes and she was invited to a bridal shower that the office was hosting for me. She didn't know me and I didn't know her, and all we had in common that we were the well dressed twenty somethings in the office. And she came to the shower for me (who she didn't know) with a generous, lovely gift that was both from my bridal registry and perfectly themed for my upcoming destination weekend. And I thought "that is the most thoughtful girl I've ever met".

In the last ten years we have laughed so hard that we've peed our pants, we have cried so much we could fill a swimming pool and have seen the very best and the very worst in each other. Together we've been on prime time television, run a small business and drank too many cocktails. We've shared clothes, recipes, luggage and life. She was there on the day that both of my children were born and again when they were baptized. She was there more than once when I would have cried alone because I feared for the life of my unborn child and we have mourned together for the lives of her tiny unborn babies. She is a role model to me sometimes and others the most humbling reminder of imperfection and weakness. And I still think all the time "that is the most thoughtful girl I've ever met".

There's not one thing in the world that I wouldn't do for my friend. Not one. And to host a party for her is the smallest act of kindness I could possibly grant. The burnt popcorn and missing appetizers were just a bonus.

4 comments:

Macey said...

What a wonderful post, girl! You're the shortest of all your friends too, huh? :)

Unknown said...

this was such a lovely post...gosh i hope my friends take notice and throw me something just as spectacular!

KaLynn ("MiMi") said...

What a lovely post for your buddy! It is super wonderful to be lucky enough to have a friend like that! I have one. We have been friends for 40 years. Our children are friends and we are their "aunts". Congratulations to you both!

AEG74 said...

What's amazing is that I could say "ditto" in a milisecond. I love you, That Friend, and am so blessed by you every day. And you are DEFINITELY the "most thoughtful one" in the relationship :

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails