 Catching Up |
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After the disaster of deleting all of the pictures on my friend's memory card and being aided by such kind readers as Amy and Andy, Stacey, Teresa, koroshiya, Adam, and Amy C., I ended up just telling my friend what I'd done and hoping they'd be zen enough in their post-baby birthing bliss not to give a shit. And they didn't! But I learned a lot about retrieving deleted files, so thanks, as usual, to the smartypantses in the world. My sister never ceases to entertain me. She went to visit Berkeley this weekend, and she called me while jogging on Berkeley Pier and reported, "The beauty -- it's just ... ridiculous," followed by out of breath, hysterical laughter. She stayed with my cousin's friend in what he repeatedly labeled "the heart of gay San Francisco," enjoyed some great solo meals, rented a convertible and drove along the coast, missed her flight Sunday morning, ended up with a day-long layover in Vegas, took a shuttle to the Strip, went to play blackjack, and had herself some jack and cokes in ESPN Zone, where she plunked herself down to watch the women's game that she was not in New Orleans to watch due to her inability to hear her alarm clock that morning. She's now flying back to California for the second consecutive weekend to interview at Stanford, because she feels like the business school is calling her name. She is a maniac! My mom and I worked in my front yard all day yesterday, planting irises and day lilies and ferns, all transplanted from my grandmother's yard years ago to her yard and now to mine. They are all in shock and look pathetic, but she assures me that they're hardy and will take. I am going to try to keep them alive. It's a work in progress to be sure. While I was mulching furiously and getting totally sunburned on my back and shoulders, I talked to Shelley, who told me that she broke up with her boyfriend this weekend. Men, I am sorry. But what is it with you? I would like to state for the record that my friend is gorgeous, intelligent, wise, silly, talented, and most of all, strong. I wish I could speed the time and make this all easier for her, but we all know that you can't speed the time. Maryelizabeth is bringing her small young child home this weekend for her baptism, and now Shelley is coming, too, because parents concerned over breaking up children tend to feel helpless and throw money at them in the attempt to console them, which her mom did in the form of a plane ticket. So the three of us will get a chance to be together at home, which we haven't done in a long time. God, when I think about it, I don't think we've all been here since last June, which is obviously far too long. Clearly this time is horrible for her, but she just has to keep eating and breathing and putting her feet on the floor every morning, as miserable as all of that is. I'm at a loss as to how to make her feel better. I sent her the Prydain Chronicles, and hopefully those will help at least a little. Melissa told me last year:
And I send those same words, all of the others I received, to my friend right now. I know they weren't addressed to her, but so many of them apply. The whole concept of "it feels like this will never, ever be okay, but it will, and you will," that so many people reinforced to me? That's something I wish I could convince her of right now. And even if she believes that deep down, it's the getting there that is so motherfucking hard. I guess as a friend all I can do is say that I understand some of what she must be feeling and that I will be there for the "getting there" every single step of the way, just like she was for me.
About this time in ...
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