Fresh Starts

I haven't been blogging because I have been jealously guarding my time to work on my novel. I am in a really exciting stage and working on it every chance I get.

But I figured I should probably write something here about my birthday. I'm thirty-six now and I think this year will be a year of many good things. Right now it feels like the year of Fresh Starts.

This is my first birthday being No Contact with my mom and FU No Contact with my sister (FU means what you think it means, it's a kind of more aggressively angry No Contact. :P)

My best friend here in South Bend moved to Seattle this weekend. I saw her on Thursday, and Friday and Saturday. Thursday the ladies cried together but I wasn't up for that. I went home and cried in privacy and wrote her this note:

Dear J,

I can’t believe you are moving. You have been my good friend in South Bend, someone who I trust, respect, and like.

More than any other woman you have taught me what it means to be a good friend. Please accept my thanks and admiration and know in your heart that you are a wonderful person who brings kindness and warmth with you wherever you go.

You deserve more than this simple letter and now that you are going I regret every time I thought to do something nice for you and didn’t. It would have never occurred to me the many sneaky, clever, and fun ways that a friend can show another friend that they are thought of and cared for until I saw how you elevated random acts to kindness into joyful expressions of friendship.

I will try to keep that spirit of friendship that you taught me with me even after you go. I also have the gladiolus that you gave me blooming in my backyard. They will remind me of the multitude of sweet and supportive benefits of female friendship in general and of your own wonderful mix of extraordinary caring, gentle honesty, and great deadpan humor.

Have fun in your new life, embrace it and know that you can do so many things. We will miss you and your beautiful family. Don’t forget us!

Your friend always,

*sniff sniff*

I guess I am more worried about Zoe losing her bestfriend though. J's daughter was Zoe's best friend in South Bend. I thought it was really touching when Zoe told me that she is going to try to take on the role her friend had in the group, as the leader and the person who listened to everyone and got everyone together to make decisions. Zoe thought that would be a way to honor her friend. :)

So, that is sad, and I know the fallout of it hasn't really hit us yet. I still managed to have a very good birthday.

I got several books including Buffy. Spike and Firefly graphic novels, Coraline on Blu-ray. season 3 of the Muppets, gift cards to salon and Target and a stained glass screen. To quote Daffy Duck "Whadda haul! Whadda haul!"

On Saturday Pere made my traditional birthday meal of seafood gumbo. *yum* And we had our friends over for a birthday/farewell dinner.

Sunday the three of us went inner-tubing down Sugar Creek. It was sooo much fun! We spent about 4 hours on the water relaxing, playing games, and paddling around. It was a really great time. I used to go tubing down a much faster river when I was a kid and when I was trying to think of something I wanted to do for my birthday this was my second idea. My first idea was to do a TreeTop Zip-Line Adventure but we have to wait on that till Zoe is 70lbs and 10. (Although Pere and I might do it without her before then.)

So... anyhoo. Things are strangely good. Probably because I am so excited about my book. And I am confident that I have been making really good choices that are leading my life in a heathy direction.