friend appreciation

These are the flowers (all local and organic via Olla) that my friend Jill, who lives all the way in Calgary, sent me the morning that I presented my final graduate work...which was just yesterday but already it feels like it was a year ago. It was so unbelievably thoughtful that I just had to share a photo. I plan to show a tiny bit of my project here in the coming days but right now I must return to doing nothing and feeling awesome about it. It's hard to describe how it feels to be finished. I still feel weird but slightly less numb than I did yesterday. I'm sure it will all start to sink in soon, when I'm out and about in Vancouver, having tons of fun, and feeling great about it! I can't wait to reconnect with all of my long lost friends. I spent the day eating amazing food (I'd like Danielle and Jill to consider this: brie, raspberry preserves and black pepper sandwich), shopping with my mom, and napping. Tonight: we celebrate. Finished!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

let's talk about friendship

another old photo, but a good photo

I had a post all lined up for today, but at the last minute I've changed my mind about what to write about. Let's talk about friendship for a few minutes. In fact, I want to tell you a bit about my friend Heather, an amazing woman and one of my best friends for over fifteen years now. Heather and I were really close friends in our late teens and early 20s and then we fell out of touch. I still remember the day that she walked back into my life. She came into the shop I was working at and was going on a life changing adventure. We promised each other that when she got back from her travels we'd hang out again and get reacquainted and we kept that promise. Since then our relationship has grown in leaps and bounds. She threw one of the best parties I've ever been to for her wedding (and I drunkenly threw about 400 forks on the ground by mistake), and I've watched her beautiful family grow and always feel lucky to be part of her life. When I get married this fall Heather will be standing next to me.

If you have a friend like Heather, and I'm sure you do, make sure you tell them how you feel. These are the people who will be there for you when you need them, and, in return, you will always be there when they need you. I bring up my friendship with Heather today because she is facing some unbelievable challenges in her life, and yet she still manages to be a picture of generosity and grace. When Jeff and I chose our attendants for our wedding we had in mind people who make us better people. Heather, with the strength and devotion to family and friends that she always shows, is exactly that, someone who makes me a better person. I'm so thankful for her and can't wait until the next time we find ourselves in the same city. Make sure you tell your friends you love them today!