Yesterday was my dear dear friend Tricia’s thirty-somethingth birthday.
Here’s the thing about my friends. It seems that no matter where we move, the Lord has blessed me with the most wonderful girlfriends imaginable (and you know who you are). It’s always heartbreaking to leave, but I’ve been lucky enough to find lifelong friends all along the path.
And good friendships never, ever happen overnight. I think we lived here for a year before our casual mom friendship morphed into the “Come Clean My Bathroom With Me” friendship. Cause let me tell you, it takes some serious trust to let a girlfriend in that deep.
So here’s the thing; I’m bad with birthdays. I forget them, and even when I remember I usually fall through on whatever fun thing I plan. And the more I love you, the worse the birthday treatment (except on the rare occasion when I get responsible and put something great together). But the best I could offer Tricia yesterday was an afternoon play date where the kids stayed downstairs, and we watched Wolverine upstairs. So lame.
But what do you think she did for me on her birthday? She brought me a plate of brownies (thanks a lot) and a bag of fresh tamales purchased from a tamale solicitor (which is why, by the way, I will never put a ‘No Soliciting’ sign on the door. I wouldn’t want to turn any possible tamale sellers away). Tell me the girl’s not a keeper.
But the main reason I love this dear friend of mine is because I know my name is safe with her. She’s not a gossip, she’s good and kind and humble, and I know that she’d never say anything behind my back that she wouldn’t say to my face. Now that, that right there, is the sign of a quality individual.
Does this mean we always see eye to eye? Heavens no, where’s the fun in that? But even when she disagrees with how I do something, or thinks I’m just plain loco, or even if/when I accidentally offend her, I know she’s going to tell me about it straight out. This right here, this is the kind of friend I hope to always be.
So happy birthday Tricia, I wouldn’t have made it this far without you.
We all need friends like that!
There is nothing like a true BFF!
for a minute I was thinking you meant me and accidently wrote Tricia’s name. Happy birthday Tricia. I like tamales, wolverines, down payments for a boob job and my birthday is coming up real soon too.
This is exactly my FAVORITE type of friend. Honesty and knowing I can trust what a person says and means, that’s priceless.
Happy Birthday, Tricia!
I have 1.5 friends like this. One of them, FO SHO, but now she lives in Monontana (yes, I know I misspelled it, but my babies used to call it that) and the other lives here but isn’t a member and not at all spiritual, so she can only “get” me so far… (sigh)
annie~
you’re a keeper!
i understand how you feel about moving around and making/leaving friends…a military career will do that to you! this is why i embrace blogging, facebook, e-mail, cell phones and texting… there are people in my life i thought i’d never see/hear from again!
but your post made me realize i may have done an injustice to one of my ‘bathroom cleaning’ friends.
it was her birthday yesterday and i celebrated it along with all the other people in her life…on facebood. as she stated on her status…’i feel like i’m 11 again’.
but you know what?! your post reminded me of the time she took my kids (when they were 3 and 4) to the store, allowed them to pick out a special gift for me, bought a dairy queen ice cream cake and we all blew out candles together. i think i owe her more than a fb post!
wendy
I do have plans for her, I just have to swing into Target and pick up her treasured (slightly gaggy) gift. And go you, you’re so right. Friends like that deserve friends like us.
I really can’t stand gossipping. It’s just so – evil.
Awww…. Thanks! I hate to think of how boring the last two years would have been without you here! AND you know I hate to think of you leaving… so let’s not talk about it anymore.
You forgot to mention how AMAZING Wolverine was! Thanks for all the birthday wishes everyone!
I love this post!
I am trying my hardest to be that kind of person– that kind of friend. I want people to always know that their name is always safe with me.
Loved this post. I can’t believe how blessed I am to have the best friends. We all need to have at least one friend like Tricia. In hope to be the kind of friend my best friend deserves. Because she really does deserve it!