a love letter

I just talked to my very best friend in the whole world. Actually, we were IMing (that means instant messaging, grandma). It's the first time we've IMed because, as I've mentioned, I might as well be living in Victorian England for how well I get along with technology. As it turns out, I didn't have to do a single thing to get this IM thing going. A message from her just popped up on my new email service and BAM! hello twenty-first century!

But the point of this post is not to once again point out my technological deficiencies; it's really to say how very much I love my best friend.

She, who puts up with me even though I never update my MySpace page (see, does it even look like I have a kid there?). She, who knows my every secret and loves me anyway. She, who always calls me first when some new joy or hurt comes into her life. She, who is going through some very large, very difficult hurt right now and is facing it with grace and beauty.

My best friend lives five thousand miles away and I only see her once or twice a year, but when we're together it's as though nothing has changed from those silly days in high school when we would lounge on her couch discussing our latest schemes for getting on Oprah or figuring out the next color I should dye my hair. We are girly-girls together, opening our hearts, conspiring with adolescent enthusiasm, figuring out how to save the world over a tub of peppercinis and a cheese log.

As I've gotten older, moved from city to city, and expanded my family, some friends have come and gone. Evolving with each new phase of my life, many friendships serve a purpose for some time then fade away. But with this woman, I know no matter how far I move or how drastically my life changes, I will never lose her. It is a simple fact of life: she will be there for me as I am for her when we are old and gray (or old and red as the case may be...).

And that is a wonderful feeling.

I love you, my sweet, sweet dear. And I hope reading this makes you smile. You deserve it.