Today is Donna's birthday, and Ive been thinking of her all day and of the great gift she is to me, and to this world.
And isn't it an amazing and interesting world that has molded our friendship? Donna lived in Louisville- maybe 40 or more years ago? I'm not sure just when, but more than 30 anyway. She became best friends with my very dear freind Faye while living here. For years after Donna moved away to Wisconsin I knew all about Donna because of Faye's long distance but very well tended friendship with her. I met her a couple of times when she visited.
I am not sure when she and I "connected" via email. I'm not sure why- neither of us are big on passing on jokes or prayers or anything like that via email to people we don't know well. I do know that for the better part of 10 years, maybe longer (do NOT call me if you want a real historian) I've had almost daily contact with her. The dynamics have shifted here and there- adding in facebook and blogs to our methods of communicating. And because our friendship takes place during the late late night and very early morning hours , each of us keyng away in a dark house while our families sleep, Donna is probably more aware of what is going on in not only my life but my heart than friends I see daily.
Part of this is because of Donna's warmth and her kindness to endure probably way more than she wants to hear. The other part, the part I can't quite name or put my finger on, has so much to do with ours being a "friendship of letters". We include photos and poems and recipes, we plunk out a few words when we are so sad or sick or tired that it's the best we can do, we are not burdened with calendar fatigue as we try to find a date we could possibly get together for lunch. At the end of my day, at the beginning of hers, we "show up".
And so, today I feel so so rich for the gift of her friendship. I won't eat a piece of her cake or raise a glass and touch it to hers, but I am able to visualize it- probably much more like a Hallmark movie in my mind than it really ends up being.
Happy birthday to my only Mensa member friend, to the grandmother every little boy wishes he had, to a delightful gardner, a hearty Wisconsinite, and my very treasured friend. Love, sue
2 comments:
Oh, another oh, so sweet post! A lovely tribute.
Oh, my gosh....I'm crying in my coffee. You made me out to be a much better and more appealing person than I really am, but I accept your sweet birthday tribute. Glad you didn't mention things like how impatient I am with people who block the aisle with their cart at the grocery store:) Had I known this photo would someday be posted on your blog, I'd have worn a more supportive bra. You've made the day after, seem like my birhtday all over again. I thank you so very much.
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