On Celebrations

It' amazing to watch as my friends from years and years ago grow up--it's a reminder of how far we've all come, and the joys in life that should be celebrated as the family we've become.

A and I met our first day of our first year of college. We were both recruited to row at UVA--she as a lightweight in her 5'10 slender body and me as a shorter than average power house that could just wail not only on the oar, but also on the ergs. Every morning at 5am A would come and pick me up in her green Jeep and we would drive out to the boathouse to be on the water by 5:30am. For a long time she was seat seven, I was seat 6. We spent countless hours moving across the water in a boat of 8, cross training in the afternoon, crying over blisters on our hands and exhaustion. I stayed with her at her parent's house in northern Virginia before most vacations from school when I would fly from DC to Vermont. We were sisters not only on the team, but away from our homes and sisters who were related to us by blood.

And then life intervened in ways not worthy of discussion on this amazing day. But we moved farther apart for a number of reasons--A transferred to GW, life encompassed both of us in our individual environments. I left for Africa, A started law school and I rarely spoke to her for a few years. I moved back to DC to find that by gal H had reunited with A--they lived only a couple of blocks from one another and their friendship was fast and lasting. I got updates from H on how A was doing, and saw her occasionally--A finishing law school and I having started did not leave a lot of time for catching up.

This past year I had the great fortune to catch up with A and to start rebuilding a friendship that never ended in a bad way, but fizzled for a number of years. Seeing the woman and friend that she has become--a pillar of strength, someone who is truly inspiring and has shown me that no matter how many times we get knocked down there is never a time when it's too hard to pull yourself back up--has made me feel truly lucky to have had the second chance to have her as a friend.

Today, A is getting married to a lovely and wonderful and perfect man for her. I could not be more overwhelmed with joy for the two of them, for her especially. There is no one on earth, I don't think, who has a larger heart of pure gold, who is selfless and kind, and who has done more for herself than any person could imagine.

I saw this poem on another site and it made me think of A and her fiance and their relationship. And I think it's perfect for them

Congratulations, A.

"Oh, the comfort,
The inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person,
having neither to to weight thoughts or measure words,
but pouring them all out.
just as they are,
chaff and grain together,
certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them,
keep what is worth keeping
and with the breath of kindness blow the rest away."

--G. Eliot