For Ed, wherever I may find her

I'm lucky.

I'm lucky enough to have not just one, but two people I can truly call my best friend. One of those people is my husband; in the 9.5 years or so we've known each other, he has had a remarkable gift at being not only my partner in love, but also being an honest to goodness companion.

The second person has carried the title of "BFF" for much longer. We first met at a birthday party when we were in the 6th grade. Our first act of friendship was a game of ping pong in a hotel lobby in which most of the balls ended up on the second floor terrace or in the pool-- a very appropriate foreshadowing into our friendship...goofy and genuine... and it was never about what we were doing per say, only that we did it together, whether it be ping pong games, cruising the mall, visiting various tennis courts in town, irritating her older brother to the point he began refusing to drive the two of us anywhere together. As the years went by, we continued to find humor and grace in the world around us and within our friendship. She was the friend who helped me mend my first broken heart and every one since then. She saw me through those difficult teenage years yet still loved me regardless of my neuroses. She was my maid of honor at my wedding, and was there when my son was born. She was there with me when both my parents died( and when I say "there" I don't mean just emotionally. She was literally standing right next to me through it all). A couple of weeks ago she helped me put all my parents' belongings in boxes, which was not an easy task.

I write this because I love her, and I think she's probably the strongest person I know. She deserves to be reminded of what an amazing person she is, and I feel like I need to be better about expressing my gratitude. As the course of our lives continue to change, she is still a constant in my day-to-day despite living 3 hours away. I hope I can be as good a friend to her as she is to me.

Love you Ed.