It's a birthday

 We interrupt our regularly scheduled bloggings for a little celebration. Today is my best bestie's birthday. And she's had a rough year with a lot of stuff going on in her little corner of the world. I actually put it in my google calendar this year, because I always know December but forget the actual date. 

Is it December 3? 5? 9? 12? when the hell is her birthday! 

So the alert went off on my phone at 6am. But magically, I knew before I went to bed that it was today and that made me smile. 

I want her to know how special she is. I don't think she knows how special she is. I don't think I could give her a gift that could reflect my love, adoration, and appreciation for her (I do have a little something to send her but keep forgetting to ship it! Note to self...). 

She's the kind of friend where you say you need something, it shows up on your front porch, delivered by the FedEx folks, the next day. She's constantly thoughtful and faithful to remembering things (much better than I am) and is a loving host when you come to visit. I'm wearing a pair of slippers she bought me one year that I came up to camp, because the forecast was for cold weather and camp is camp. So feet have to be protected. 

Somehow, she knows the perfect time to send a text or email, when the universe is beating down on my brain, I get a love note or an "Oh, hello" from her that brightens my day.  We can go a week without connecting but she's there. She's always there, and like the Temptations sang in "My Girl," I've got sunshine on a cloudy day. She is just that.

She tolerates my Guster obsession and was willing to join me for this show in Boston (photo from the meetup with GusFans before the show). While she isn't as into a lot of music as I am, she's a good go-along for the fun friend. Once, she told me after a Barenaked Ladies concert that she had more fun watching me watch them. 

It's that kind of acknowledgement of who I am that I love and appreciate. Doug would choose to not go to a show at all, which makes me sad, rather than come and watch me be deep in my joy. 

Through her job, I've learned so much about her field that when I see something relevant to it, I stop to talk to the person and I sound like I know what I'm talking about, thanks to her. 

I can turn to her with gripes and with happiness. Share my oys and joys as it were. 

There are few people on this earth I love this much. And she's in the top 5 hands down. And the four others are Linda, Doug, Jess, and Geoff. 

She is family, chosen family, and without her I'm often rudderless. 

Oh, and she always says "we need to get a good picture of us next time we see each other" but to be honest, this picture brings me so much joy. At a bar, in Fenway, with a shiny neon Baseball sign over our heads. How hilarious. It's perfect. It's us.

Happy Birthday Caroline. Wishing I could hang out with you right now, but soon. And soon and soon. I love you.