people i love: maryn

Maryn,

Today you're 23. We've celebrated a lot of birthdays together. I remember when you turned 14 and we went to that cramped Italian restaurant in Philadelphia, where we witnessed a real-live blind date. Just between you and me, I don't think it lasted between them. I remember when you turned 12 and I was the only invitee who could come to the party. One of the downsides of being born near a holiday, but it didn't stop me. Brooke taught you how to put on makeup that day, and little known fact: I was so jeal-y jealous! 

The aforementioned 12th birthday party. Hawaiian-themed. Clearly.

I remember when you turned 18 and Charles and I drove down from Wenatchee and those blasted cherries to celebrate. A few weeks later, I treated you to a trip to Seattle to see Daniel Powter in concert. Sometimes I find myself thinking, seriously, Daniel Powter? We should have gone to see someone cooler. I remember we were a little perturbed at the overabundance of cougars at the show, but I think we still had a good time. I remember telling you, right after my 18th birthday, that I was planning to go to Point Loma, to which you promptly replied "no," and recommended that I look into U of O. And even though we did go to colleges 1,000 miles apart, you should know that you're still my best! 

We try not to pose for pictures like this anymore. 

We have such a rich, hilarious, embarrassing and honest friendship, that even when miles, boys, high school drama, and my ugly feet get in the way, I've always known you're just a phone call away. Seriously, we probably hold the record for tear-filled voicemails (our new motto...11 years of teary vms and still going strong)!

And I remember where it all started. In the basement of CBF. 2nd grade Katie walks in to join her friends for the weekly connect-four tournament and BAM. New girl. I watched how she played the game and thought to myself (in different words):

DANG. THIS GIRL IS THE STUFF.

New best-friendship: commence! Mar, there's no one else who has been right along side me during a failed business venture (what? you mean Ladybugs & Bumblebees isn't catchy business name?), a backyard carnival that turned into a PR nightmare (aka brother decided to scare the neighborhood children away by sneaking in the backyard in full fatigues), an embarrassing 8th grade phone call to my mom to pick us up from the mall after we had been hanging out with a guy that she didn't know about (P.T.L. that didn't work out! Ha!), treks up to Mt. Tabor with a FULL duffle bag (hey, how else you gonna cart your boombox, popsicles, nail polish kit, journal, and textbooks up there?), and all of the times that I prefaced something with "I'm not supposed to tell you this, but..." (best friends are excluded from that rule, right?).

Bottom line: you've been there. When I've been scared, confused, upset, alone. I have been so very blessed by your ability to speak the truth in love, and by your ever-encouraging words, in everything from the notes you wrote me in 6th grade to hours on IM in high school, and now in our phone calls and emails. You get me, you know what I need to hear, and you're not afraid to say it.

Exhibit A: Shouting "Finally!!" during me and L's first dance when we finally started dancing like real adults and not awkward jr. highers. The reactions:

You'll always be my best.

Love you Mar, welcome to 23. 

P.S. How could I forget our 7-year stint as Senior Officers on Where in the World is Carmen San Diego? version 2.8 for Macintosh? Carmen, we were this close. And no, we didn't care that we were 16 and the box said "for ages 9-14"

P.S.S. Mar, if you ever want to recreate that killer full-basement grocery store we had going, you just give me a call. 

xoxo.