From Easter 2007
Andrea, Rachel and Adorable Ashleigh arrived at the Atlanta Airport Friday afternoon - and what a wonderful sight for my eyes to see! I was so excited I could hardly stand it!!!!
Andrea, who was worried to death about flying - did a wonderful job navigating the Baton Rouge and Atlanta (Hartsfield International) airports - with a teenager, a 17 month old, a stroller and a car seat in tow - a HUGE accomplishment for anyone - seasoned traveler or not!
Ashleigh came right to me, wanting me to hold her from just minutes after they arrived - WHAT A THRILL! Ashleigh and I were thick as theives the whole time they were here. I taught her all kinds of fun things like how to jump on the bed, how to pretend to sleep and snore, how to make a sound (you'd have to hear it) and pinch her fingers together, and how to grab something really quick hold it to herself and shout "That's Mine!" I fed her chocolate and cheese cake (well, ok, she helped herself to the cheesecake - see how much she's like her Godmother!) I think that other than her mother, I am her new favorite person in the whole world - which is cool, because that was precisely my plan!
All of us did several of me and Becca's favorite things while they were here: ate at The Cheesecake Factory, shopped at Lennox Mall - where I bought...what else? MAKE UP (people I am totally hooked on Bare Minerals!), visited with Andrea's Uncle and Aunt (Becca and I don't normally visit with these two nice people, but we do love to visit with people), shopped some more at Wal-Mart, went to church on Easter Sunday, ate overly loaded cream and chocolate filled donuts from Dunkin Donuts, lounged around and ate dinner Easter Sunday afternoon and evening - when I dyed eggs with Rebecca and Ashes, and went to Waffle House (YUM) on Monday morning.
Then, Andrea and Rachel packed up all there stuff, we loaded up the truck (long story - it'll be another blog at another time) and headed to the airport (Becca went too, I kept her home from school). We got them all checked in for their flight home, found the line for security - they got bumped to the front because of Adorable Ashleigh - which caused us to have to give quick hugs and kisses and go our seperate ways.
As I was leaving the security area, I was thinking to myself "WOW. That went well. I really thought I'd cry when it came time to hug my BEST FRIEND IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD good-bye!" About 2 seconds after having that thought, I busted up crying right there in the middle of the airport - and I cried all the way back home (which is quite a while in case you're wondering).
The few days that Andrea was here passed in the blink of an eye and were ever too short. It's like this, before I moved to Atlanta, I knew I would miss her and would miss her more than I could have imagined then. After I moved here, it took a lot of my energy and focus to get everything going here for me and Becca, and I missed Andrea, but there was no real time to sit and think about how much I missed her. Once we were settled in, I knew I missed her, but we talk almost every single day - sometimes more than once or twice - so we're still up to date on everything, just via phone. But having her here, in my physical presence - where we don't just get to have conversation - but also those moments of smiles, widened eyes, conspiratory glances and such that become a second language among folks who are lucky enough to have the kind of friendship Andrea and I share...made me realize THAT'S what I've been missing. That unspoken connection of someone who GETS ME and ACCEPTS ME - faults and all - and just loves me anyway.
People: If you have only ONE friendship like this in your lifetime, you will have been truly blessed. Never, not for one moment, take your truest friendships for granted. They really are a gift from God and are his way of physically being able to wrap his arms around us.
I miss my friend. I miss being able to be in a certain situation and catching her eyes and KNOWING that she is thinking EXACTLY what I'm thinking - and that while it may not be a nice thought - it sure is FUN! I miss being able to run over to her house when I have something to laugh about, something to cry about, something to whine or complain about, something to sit there in silence about - or for something I want her to cook so I can eat it!
I miss the way her ever-steady and calm demeanor, tempers my all-over-the-place, gotta do it now demeanor.
And...I MISS THAT BABY ALREADY! Andrea, you better kiss her face off for me! And don't let her forget all the tricks I taught her! T' Missy LOVES HER SOME Ashleigh! And I love you too girlfriend, YOU ARE THE BEST.
As almost always, I need a theme song for this moment in my life -
Carole King's "So Far Away"
So far away
Doesn't anybody stay in one place any more?
It would be so fine to see your face at my door
Doesn't help to know you're just time away
Long ago I reached for you and there you stood
Holding you again could only do me good
Oh, how I wish I could
But you're so far away
One more song about move along the highway
Can't say much of anything that's new
If I could only work this life out my way
I'd rather spend it being close to you
But you're so far away
Doesn't anybody stay in one place any more?
It would be so fine to see your face at my door
Doesn't help to know you're just time away
Traveling around sure gets me down and lonely
Nothing else to do but close my mind
I sure hope the road don't come to own me
There's so many dreams I've yet to find
But you're so far away
Doesn't anybody stay in one place any more?
It would be so fine to see your face at my door
Doesn't help to know you're just time away
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