That’s What Friends Are For

i was lucky enough to grow up in the same city as all my cousins, aunts and uncles and grandparents.  until i was 17 and we moved across the country, that meant we spent every holiday, birthday and anniversary together.  we swam in my grandparent’s kidney-bean shaped swimming pool, lit chanukah candles at hillcrest country club and ate bowls full of chopped liver on thanksgiving – together.  all of us.

my family.

my best friend from elementary school is still my bff.  she has the most thick, gorgeous hair and a heart that is so full of love and care for the people in her life – i sometimes wonder how she has room to breathe.  my camp friends made the months that were not june to august worth navigating and today, our mini-reunions with the next generation of campers make me feel the same energy and enthusiasm that i experienced at the top of the hill so many years ago.  a handful from college – a couple of former roommates, red heads and, of course, the curly rabbi who makes me laugh until whatever beverage i’m am drinking comes out of my nose and ears.  she makes me think hard about big life choices and the world that we live in.  and she can quote 90210 even better than me – maybe.  and rosie – my besheret.

these are the people i have known forever.  individuals who have shaped my life.

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there are a multitude of reasons why i am the luckiest woman alive to have ended up with ABN as my partner.  with our 5th anniversary coming at the end of the month, i’ll save most of that list for another time and for now i’ll just say that with ABN i was gifted my first group of real family friends.  and it’s awesome.

ABN grew up in the midwest and for the most part,  his family lived all over the country.  so from a very early age he celebrated holidays, birthdays, and graduations, had dinner parties, took art classes, and was on the swim team with the same group of kids and he has been supported and loved by their parents.  they are this crazy, diverse, loud, talented, obnoxious and unbelievably caring extended family and from day 1, i’ve been adopted.

don’t judge us, we’re just drinking in the bathroom

these friends are now some of my closest friends.  this family is now my family.

we laugh hard and we play hard and we love each other like family – because we are family.  i’m a very lucky girl to be part of it all.

so yeah, i ended up going with the STITCH FIX SPARKLE DRESS – and it was the right choice.  don’t fret, i kept the polka dot dress too and i’ve already identified a few different occasions for which i will bust out that look.  but it turned out the wedding was just a touch fancier than i had envisioned (mainly because it didn’t start until 5pm…i don’t know why i thought it was an afternoon thing) and so the sparkle dress was perfect.  as were the boots – i sure did dance my ass off!