For Amy

t was my New Year's resolution to start a blog. I don't know why I thought that would be a good resolution to make - probably something about giving myself a creative outlet. Sounds good right? Well, more on that later - like maybe 10 months from now when I get around to writing again.

The reason I am starting this today is because I wanted to write something about my best friend - Amy Gold - complete with pictures - and Facebook Notes wasn't going to work for me.

Today is Amy's birthday. We met each other roughly 33 years ago - in kindergarten. We may have looked something like this:

*Note: real pictures of us in the Cute Years are somewhere in my parents' house. Unfortunately, they live about 40 minutes away and frown on me popping over at 10pm to dig through closets so I can get this posted in time. Trust me. We were cute. Imagine one of these girls with little-girl glasses. That was Amy.

Amy moved about 30 miles away when we were 7. When you're 7, 30 miles might as well be 300 miles. But thanks to what I now realize must have been a tremendous effort from our parents who transported us for regular sleepovers and didn't mind the - does anyone have these anymore? - "long distance" phone charges, we stayed friends. We stayed friends long enough to think THIS was a good idea.

Yep. Matching bathing suits and bad ass sunglasses. These were the NOT cute years. And these bathing suits were purchased at Ames. I have no idea why I remember that classy detail.

I'm happy to report that our next badass sunglass picture looked like this. Marked improvement, no?


We decided to be roommates in college (aka the Zima years).



*Note actual bottles of Zima in this picture. (side note - Zima in a Poland Spring bottle fools your RA every time!)

Being college roommates was the best idea we ever had. So many nights now when I lay awake in bed waiting for sleep, I wish she was 10 feet away in her twin bed (always neatly made every morning, mine not so much) so we could talk about hair products or boyfriends or TV shows (you know - intellectual conversations your parents dream you're having at college) until we talked ourselves right to sleep. College was good.

Fast forward - I was her maid of honor. She was mine. I was/am her daughters' godmother. She is my daughter's godmother. I should have pictures of these major life events - and I do - somewhere. Wait - here's one!

Fast forward some more.

And here we are today (well, last month):


Some day when I'm not sleep-deprived and am not running up against a birthday deadline, I will write more about this amazing person I get to call my best friend. But for today, I just want to wish her a very happy birthday. And say thank you - for sticking with me through the cute years and the not so cute years and for being a shoulder, an ear and the other half of my brain.

Before I start quoting "wind beneath my wings", HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!