Jen is the best.
It feels like we've been friends forever and a day. I wish I could tell half of the stories about the two of us hanging out, but well, let's just say, she's trouble.
We rented a house together in Hunter Mountain in upstate New York one winter with about 100 people. Or close.
It was a pretty nasty house come to think of it (sorry Jen) but it was a steal. It was right across the street from the only dance club in Hunter and we skiied, oh, about once. (But we did make it to the lodge, if that counts...) And that one time we did ski, I got pummeled from behind by some young kid flying down the bunny hill screaming his head off, arms a-flailing and completely out of control. I had a yard sale (you know, when all of your skis and poles and everything fly off in every direction). I've been scarred mentally ever since.
Jen's broken two bones in her life and both times they were when I was around.
I must be a lucky charm. Seriously.
First one was her wrist or finger or something, about 12 years ago, I can't even remember now but it was when we were rollerblading in Miami Beach and not attending any of the conferences for our National Broadcast Society thingy we were actually there for. (Yeah, go ahead and try to have a conference for college students in Miami Beach. I dare you.)
We're old, but there's still old and grainy documentation of that trip going on right here. One of my many hairstyles shown here too.
The second incident was about 6 years later, when we were living in New York and we went out one night and she left the club before me, fell on her face while crossing the street drunk in chunky shoes, and when I got home, there she was, bloodied in my stairwell. Broken foot. Oh the good times.
Man, you should see us now. Hardly recognizable as our former selves.
(Still hot, though.)
We're all mommied up and staying at home with our sons. Yep. A ton in common, including having preemies. Within a year of each other.
Her son was born less than a year after mine, at 30 weeks. I remember when I got the call from her husband that night when she was going into labor. I hung up the phone and screamed, "Noo!!!!!" and I broke down. I couldn't sleep all night. All I could do was wait for the sun to come up so I could call and check in. I prayed a lot that night.
I kept going through it in my mind: what could I bring? What could I do? I had just walked this path myself and I wasn't sure what it would be like for her. I didn't know what road they would have.
And I got angry. Because, why? WHY! Why was this happening to her? Why did this have to happen? Why??? Why! Why!
And the truth is, we still don't know, she doesn't know, her doctors don't know, no one knows. That's pretty much the way it goes with prematurity. There are no real answers. So the guilt and the sadness and the fear, it all goes together and never really gets answered and so without the mystery being solved, it never really goes away. But you know what? Still she laughs. And that's why I love her.
She's always made me laugh. (Although I'm the one with the wide-mouth-frog joke...)
And her healthy perpective on having a preemie is so refreshing. Because there are so many scary and sad stories out there that it's important to be able to laugh when you can. Or even when you shouldn't or can't.
It feels like we've been friends forever and a day. I wish I could tell half of the stories about the two of us hanging out, but well, let's just say, she's trouble.
We rented a house together in Hunter Mountain in upstate New York one winter with about 100 people. Or close.
It was a pretty nasty house come to think of it (sorry Jen) but it was a steal. It was right across the street from the only dance club in Hunter and we skiied, oh, about once. (But we did make it to the lodge, if that counts...) And that one time we did ski, I got pummeled from behind by some young kid flying down the bunny hill screaming his head off, arms a-flailing and completely out of control. I had a yard sale (you know, when all of your skis and poles and everything fly off in every direction). I've been scarred mentally ever since.Jen's broken two bones in her life and both times they were when I was around.
I must be a lucky charm. Seriously.
First one was her wrist or finger or something, about 12 years ago, I can't even remember now but it was when we were rollerblading in Miami Beach and not attending any of the conferences for our National Broadcast Society thingy we were actually there for. (Yeah, go ahead and try to have a conference for college students in Miami Beach. I dare you.)
We're old, but there's still old and grainy documentation of that trip going on right here. One of my many hairstyles shown here too.The second incident was about 6 years later, when we were living in New York and we went out one night and she left the club before me, fell on her face while crossing the street drunk in chunky shoes, and when I got home, there she was, bloodied in my stairwell. Broken foot. Oh the good times.
Man, you should see us now. Hardly recognizable as our former selves.
(Still hot, though.)
We're all mommied up and staying at home with our sons. Yep. A ton in common, including having preemies. Within a year of each other.
Her son was born less than a year after mine, at 30 weeks. I remember when I got the call from her husband that night when she was going into labor. I hung up the phone and screamed, "Noo!!!!!" and I broke down. I couldn't sleep all night. All I could do was wait for the sun to come up so I could call and check in. I prayed a lot that night.
I kept going through it in my mind: what could I bring? What could I do? I had just walked this path myself and I wasn't sure what it would be like for her. I didn't know what road they would have.
And I got angry. Because, why? WHY! Why was this happening to her? Why did this have to happen? Why??? Why! Why!
And the truth is, we still don't know, she doesn't know, her doctors don't know, no one knows. That's pretty much the way it goes with prematurity. There are no real answers. So the guilt and the sadness and the fear, it all goes together and never really gets answered and so without the mystery being solved, it never really goes away. But you know what? Still she laughs. And that's why I love her.
She's always made me laugh. (Although I'm the one with the wide-mouth-frog joke...)
And her healthy perpective on having a preemie is so refreshing. Because there are so many scary and sad stories out there that it's important to be able to laugh when you can. Or even when you shouldn't or can't.
* * *
Join the Before and After Party by clicking the button and signing the linky! Or e-mail me your before and after pictures of absolutely anything and I'll post it right here!!! Party ends Saturday! By the way, buy anything at my Etsy shop, Inspire Me Chic, until Saturday and all proceeds go to the March of Dimes!
What a great friendship!!!! :o)
ReplyDeleteI received my crossfit shirt yesterday!!! LOVE how soft it is!!! You are the best!!! Good luck on your training!! :o)