reasons I survive:

Today I had a sad day. These are the people who made me feel better.
These are my good, dear friends.
These are people whom I love beyond words.
And yet, even though I cannot describe them in words I was trying to think of ways to describe my friends in one word.
This is what I have.

Sophie the cultured.
That rivaled Sophie the hard-worker. Sophie the understanding.
Today when I sat on the couch crying she simply leaned over, wrapped her arms around me and said, "Today I cried at work, if it makes you feel better."
It did make me feel better.


Travis the grown-up.
That rivaled Travis the child.
He is the most grown-up of us, but he is also the biggest silliest kid, and that's exactly how I love him to be.
He let me sit in his office and sob. He let me eat all his food. He let me ride the scooter sans helmet.
Paige baby.
Paige the athletic.
That rivaled Paige the loyal. and Paige the genius. and Paige the giggly. Paige didn't even know I was sad today. She just came over and laid on the couch and let me read Whitman aloud to her for forty minutes. Then hugged us, and told us silly stories, and chased us up three flights of stairs.
Lana the granola.
That rivaled Lana the returned. Lana sat me down, told me a dozen funny things, thought-up some profound aphorisms, such as "we rarely have problems that we do not in some way cause ourselves." Then hugged me, and assured me, as only best friends can, that any problems I have created, or am faced with, I am equally able to conquer.

Lisa my sister.
That rivaled Lisa the rad. Lisa the beautiful. Lisa the cool one. Every time I go on Lisa's blog I feel happier. She didn't know I was having a sad day either, but she sent me a little message nonetheless. "I miss you," it said, "Is everyone being nice to you?"
I miss you too. I love you a lot today.

Lauren the artistic.
That rivaled Lauren the hilarious. Lauren the intellectual. "I am feeling sad, and all I want to watch is a movie to make me cry more," I said. "Finding Neverland it is," she said, and we sat on the couch sans pants, and bawled together. And I thought, what wonderful friends I have.

This is just so you all know, I have the best friends in the world.
I don't want you to be too jealous.
But a little jealous is fine.