one of my very best friends

a couple days ago i mentioned we were picking up a friend at the airport.  andrea, one of my oldest and dearest friends, flew into town from kansas city last saturday morning.  she left behind her husband, four children and full-time job because i sent out a distress signal.  it went something like "i'm a desperate housewife with a mundane life, please save me from myself".  and she came running (flying) like any good friend would.

i planned a very low-key girls night in, kicked my husband and two children out of the house and invited a bunch of sister chicks over for snacks and drinks.  it was a fun break from the ordinary.  as i told the girls, i just needed a time-out from giving time-outs.  of course we still ended up mostly talking about our children.  it seems that even though we need some distance from them, the little munchkins are never far from our thoughts and certainly never out of our hearts.  mamas tend to live and breathe their babies.  i'm no exception.  

the rest of the weekend andrea and i managed to go to whole foods, the mall, pei wei, ikea, michael's, whole foods again, and target.  that's more shopping in 24 hours than i typically do in a month.  andrea brought a huge duffle bag full of hand-me-down clothes that her sons have outgrown.  we emptied it out and she filled that sucker right back up with the weekend's purchases.  if there was an award for packing skills andrea would win hands down!  she would win lots of other awards, too - "most able to do ten things at one time", "most creative", "most able to maintain long distance friendships", "fastest talker", "amazing mom", "most able to balance work life and home life and social life and married life...".  i could go on. 

but the best thing about my friendship with andrea is this:  i can tell her anything - and i mean anything - things i wouldn't tell anyone else (except jer) and she does not judge or condemn or laugh in my face or talk behind my back.  she listens.  she commiserates.  she advises.  she shares in my joys and trials and walks through them right along side me.  she can be honest and direct with me - tell me i was wrong in the way i handled something or encourage me when i've done well or call me out on my b.s. - all without fear of losing the friendship.  and i can do the same for her.

it is incredibly rare when you feel safe enough in a relationship to reveal your unedited, authentic self.  especially, i've found, among women.  so i feel richly blessed and deeply thankful to have found a trusted friend with whom i can share life's crazy journeys.

thanks, ani d, for setting aside your responsibilities for a weekend to come rescue me from mine!  i love you, dear friend!