Saturday, June 16, 2007

The Boobinator and More

Do you know what Roller Derby is???? I SO want to be a part of a team! You get to go out on a roller rink, in roller skates, and KNOCK OTHER PEOPLE DOWN!!! Now, I'm NOT a terribly violent person, but this just sounds fun! At a friend's birthday party tonight, we decided that all I would have to do is get close enough to people to knock them with my boobs--- which are huge, what with nursing Starbuck and all. So my Roller Derby name would be "The Boobinator!" I love it!

I was reading my comments from my last post. I love Mindy. Can I just say that, without it sounding weird? Let me tell you about my friendship with Mindy. We met at a sorority informational meeting. We were part of 12 girls who started a chapter of Alpha Delta Chi, a Christian sorority at the University of Cincinnati. At our informational meeting, we all went around in a circle and introduced ourselves, providing a bit of background. Lo and behold, when Mindy's turn came around, she started talking about the church she attended back home. Would you believe it--- it was the church Aaron and I got married in--- the church that he grew up in! I started shrieking like a banshee (if you know me in person, you know this isn't too far from the truth) and we started naming names, to see if we knew the same people. We did. That was nearly 8 (I think) years ago, and Mindy is now one of my closest and dearest friends.

Mindy and her husband have moved an hour away--- you know how a short distance can put a strain on a friendship? For a while it did for us--- simply because we were busy young moms. And then came my pregnancy with Henry. Mindy and I were so excited-- we were pregnant together, due only a few weeks apart. You know what happened there. I lost my baby and she went on to have a beautiful baby boy. She let me stay in her hospital room while she was in labor with him, let me stay in and watch him being born as tears rolled down my face. She let me be one of the first to hold him and let the baby weight of him heal my broken heart. This was after I had distanced myself from her emotionally--- not intentionally, but nevertheless, it happened. She wrote me a letter that made me sob, as she confronted me with my emotional distance. She told me that our friendship could survive my broken heart and that she would help me through my grief. She did. Our friendship has survived. I adore Mindy.

So when Marie, a new friend, writes that I am an inspiration because of the various things I've been through, I am awed. Because you see, without my friends and family, I wouldn't have made it through those things. I am a strong person-- don't get me wrong. I have no doubt that I would have made it through my dark times to see the sun, without all the support I received. But would I have made it through as quickly, as healthily (is that a word??), as I did, without my support network? No, I don't think so.

I've always collected people. No, not in the scary way! :) But I like people. I enjoy hearing about other people's lives. I like listening to their stories. I like to watch people. It should come as no surprise that I like to have people around me a lot of times. I consider myself very blessed that within the last decade, I have collected some people who are friends for a lifetime. I've collected friends who are friends for a season of life as well. They've played their role and for that, I'm thankful. But it is the lifetime friends that I am most thankful for. Each of them is my inspiration in some way. Thanks, dear friends.

Ahhh, off to read Jonathan Kellerman's latest, "Obsession." Just what I need--- a fiction book about OCD. (They were talking about my deoderant OCD tonight at this party. Seriously, no less and no more than six swipes under the arm. If you screw up my count, I will wipe it off and begin again. No more, no less.) Anyhow, fiction is a good thing. Oh, and I'm also working on the 8th book in the Joe Grey series by Shirley Rosseau Murphy. And I just finished the latest in the Undead and Unwed series, by Mary Janice Davidson. I love the drive through pickup window at the library.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Love you and your heart.
Mellie

Queen Elaine said...

Wow. I'm so impressed by what your friend Mindy did! What an awesome friend she must be.

Six swipes, no more, no less. Crazy woman. Now I know what to buy you for your 40th!