THANKFUL FRIDAY

Recently, Michael was lamenting the lack of humor in teenagers. He had taken a small jar of hand cream into Ulta. It was one he really liked and was almost out of. He asked the teenager working there if they happened to sell it in a five gallon drum. The young woman replied very seriously “Sir, I don’t think we sell it in that size.” She did not understand that he was joking. Michael told me this story and said “I don’t get it. Didn’t you laugh all the time when you were that age?” I replied “Oh my god. Stephanie and I would laugh for hours at nothing. We laughed all the time!” Then I told him about a senior trip to San Antonio and a bathroom mishap that had Stephanie and I crying with laughter. In fact, thinking about the incident still makes me giggle.

Later on I sent a text to Stephanie relaying the conversation I had just had with Michael. She replied immediately with “OH MY GOD!” and then added exact details of the incident. She said “I’m laughing about is now and Cati is looking at me like I’m crazy.” Cati is Steph’s seventeen year old daughter and just the thought that Cati is now seventeen, makes me want to throw up. I was there when she was born and I don’t feel seventeen years older. Stephanie and I then continued to text back and forth about how hilarious we were and all of our shenanigans. I told her I would do all of it again and she replied “Oh girl, me too.” We ended the evening knowing that this was truth. Stephanie and I were our own sitcom right in line with Lucy and Ethel, Laverne and Shirley and the precursor to Liz and Jenna.

Before Chris, there was Stephanie. There is Stephanie. Our paths may have diverged. Physical distances can take a toll on friendships. We both have demanding jobs, but Steph has the added job of keeping up with her brood and all of their activities. Yet Stephanie and I have managed. We always seem to just pick up where we left off from our last talk or visit. It’s kind of like each of us are a tin can and we’re linked by a really long string. Every once in a while one of us will tug on the string and yell out. The other always hollars back. Stephanie is always there when I need her and good Lord, I hope she knows that I am always here when she needs me.