MIssion Accomplished!

If you've ever been in love for a long time, you get it.  At some point you get comfortable and, for lack of a better word, lazy.  You take each other for granted.  You know you'll spend some time together but it isn't always as quality as it used to be.  You still love the person and think about them often and deep in your heart of hearts never want them to leave your life.  But you get lazy.  You stop hanging out 24/7, conversation is predictable, and you just kinda get in a rut.  Then something happens that brings back those memories of the early days and you get kinda fluttery and want to smooch them on the cheek and tell them you love them all over again. 

No, it's not about marriage love.  It's about Your Girlfriends Who Have Known You The Longest love.  October has always been a hard month for us- it's when one of us gets at another's throat, sometimes feelings get hurt, and we get kinda strained.  Maybe it's the recent lack of sunshine.  Maybe it's why we had a depression in the 30's- maybe those ladies got strained with their girlfriends and stressed out their working husbands and everything fell apart.  There was no particular incident this October but it wasn't our best month of the year.... it was.  Bleh.  And then I got Mo's name in our annual name drawing for Christmas presents and I knew she needed a little reminder. 

I saw her playing with my kids one day and let me tell you what.  She can play with my kids like no one's business.  Sorry, Mo, get your kleenex.  They listen to her.  They respect her like a teacher, love her like an auntie, and wipe her kisses off like an old granny.  She needed to know that her girlfriends all still love her and cherish her cause I don't think she really knew how much we do.  She keeps us together when we can't do it ourselves.  SO, I had them write letters to tell her what she means to them. 

It worked.  She cried the minute she opened the cover.  And those that were present did, too.  We all worked together to orchestrate an outpouring of love for someone who gets taken for granted.  We are severely missing two members of our BachelorWatching, SexInTheCityViewing, WineTasting, CrazyDancing group of girls.  They decided that home was best and moved back across the state but we kept a small piece of them and will not let them forget to return voicemails for longer than a week.  They had letters, too.  Ha ha, Mo.  We made you cry! 

I felt kinda bad cause she's had a headache all day and crying only brought it back.  And, it was late at night on the most beautiful farm in Gig Harbor in front of a fire place and we were exhausted from building elaborate gingerbread houses.  The kids were sleeping- well, Ella was up and down cause she's a bed diva and can't handle a portacrib.  The day was amazing.  I haven't had a day like that in a long time and it was much needed.  Start with a warm, friendly 30th birthday for someone we NEVER get to celebrate cause her birthday is on December 24th AND SHE'S Jewish.  Man, that food was good, Debs.  Throw in some mid-day Christmas shopping in the madness of Target.  End with a tortellini soup that would knock your socks off and horrible children's Christmas movies starring talking dogs and getting frosting everywhere while trying in vain to make lovely cookie houses.  I'm telling you- the day was what my soul needed. 

And celebrating Mo was the cherry on top.  It made my heart feel good to throw verbal confetti all over her.  Mission Accomplished.  Now, wipe your face and go tell your girlfriends that you love them. Merry Christmas.