My Buddy

I have a friend whom I call Buddy and I sometimes think I don't give her enough credit. She is an absolutely amazing human and some of the kindest compliments I've ever received have come from her. So this blog is for Buddy... to thank her for always boosting my self-esteem and recognizing my talents.

Here are three quick stories, because it is getting late:

1. After my brother Pip passed away, I asked several of my friends to come over and celebrate his life. They showed up on a Friday afternoon and we gathered in my house and it was very loud because there were so many people talking. My dear friend Biz brought a can of beef stew because there was this one time that Biz and I were in my family's basement playing Taboo! with Pip and his friends (they were in high school and we were in college, I think) and Biz gave me the clue, "You put things in it!" and I exclaimed for reasons I will never understand, "Beef stew?!" And I was right. I don't even eat red meat... But anyway. Buddy and I were in my living room while the rest of my noisy friends were in the kitchen, talking and laughing and all sorts of things, and Buddy said to me, "You are really good at taking an absolutely horrible situation and turning it into a positive thing." It's a comment that has stuck with me over the years, because I do try to find the good hidden amongst the bad. It meant a lot -- and still does -- that she recognized that.

2. Buddy attended my book club for my novel Running Through the Words. When I have a book club for something I've written, I choose trusted friends and give them really early versions of the book. Like, when they receive the novel, I maybe went through it once to check for spelling mistakes. At the Running Through the Words book club, my Other Mother had a lot to say. This meant that others didn't have a chance to say as much, so afterward, Buddy texted, "I don't feel like I really got a chance last night to say how much I really loved your book, but you should know that I really did. Right up there with the others!"

3. Last night, I was communicating with Buddy about how insanely awesome Marisa de los Santos is. I sent her a screenshot of the correspondence I'd had from Marisa de los Santos and Buddy wrote back, "She seems really down to earth. You'll be like her when you are famous." It's probably the nicest thing she could have said because I really want to be like Marisa de los Santos if/when I acquire a solid following and (fingers crossed) a book deal. I know what it's like to rely on folks to help you out and I hope that I never forget how much it means to experience a quick note from a beloved author, musician, or artist. Because it means the world.

So that's my blog for Buddy. I love her and hope she knows how much her friendship means to me.