Lovin' On Everybody

Wow! Two Blog Posts in One day!

So, I have a confession. I like to make people laugh. I love watching people be surprised, and laughing despite themselves. Anytime I can make my best friends, particularly my wife, laugh about something that they shouldn't, or wouldn't under regular circumstances. Sometimes that causes me to make inappropriate jokes or to do things that, in attempts to be funny, just count as kind of rude, or sad.

Today I did just that, and I did it to a friend I've probably done it to many times.I played a joke she didn't find funny, and it made her sad. And it was her birthday none the less.

This friend is someone who I have referred to in the past as my most dedicated reader. The person who always asks me, "When are you going to post again?" Due in large part to her persistence (and my good fortune in continually meeting good new people) I have gone from posting two out of the first five months I had my blog, to posting close to once a month (with a few explosions in between), to now I'll have posted eight times in the first ninety-two days of the year, or an average of every 11 days. Not too shabby if you ask me.

I want to talk about a funny experience with this friend, and how it both rings true and false at the same time. This friend graduated high school a year before me, and was all of six months older than me (She's an April Fool's Day baby). We took a foods class together, which was one of many fun things we did together. One day, our teacher, who was many good things (mostly in the kitchen) but tactful was not one of them, saw this friend of mine, and I think she was a minute or two late to class. The teacher, rather than asking her why she was late, or letting the situation slide, decided it was the proper time to tell my friend that she, "always sees her lovin' on everybody out in the hall."

I found this comment highly amusing. My friend did not.

No one would deny the fact that my friend was a very huggy person. She was flirtatious. She was friendly. She dated many boys in high school. She and I had minimal romantic history, though we were both big flirts, and we did go to prom together.

However, two things should be known about this girl. First, is that it didn't matter how many boys smooched her or took her out, or how many people she hugged or flirted with, or whatever else. It didn't matter because her heart always had and always would belong to one boy. That boy happens to be awesome, happens to be her husband, and happens to be the father of her precious little boy. Sometimes, even people who get written off as big flirts turn out to be the most stable ones of all.

Secondly, the teacher wasn't wrong either. This friend, this gloriously motivating, and tirelessly friendly friend loves on EVERYONE. She can't help it. My friend is affectionate. Or, as she would say, "mi amiga es muy afectuosa" She just has it in her mind body and soul. She likes children. She calls everyone "friend" and she means it. She's willing to say what needs to be said to people, and she listens well, too. She likes making other people laugh. She likes to say nice things about people, not because she likes being liked [maybe that's part of it] but mostly because she likes making people see their own good. She's a hugger, and gives really great and reassuring hugs at that.

There's a lot of good I could say about this friend, and I'm sure on other occasions I will. We've been friends for seven years, and I have great hopes we'll be friends for many more (especially since I now consider her husband a friend. He's really great). She's one of the few who has remained my friend even though we're no longer in High School and we're both married. Those things can often cause separation even among the best of friends.

So, Happy Birthday friend. I hope this makes up for me telling you I'd already done this. :)