Remembering the way we were

Remember St. Patrick's Day when you were young and able to do foolish things without much fear of recrimination? That's OK, my recollections are fuzzy at best too. My friend and I reminisced about how we used to spend this holiday many moons ago as we were doing what we do now instead. Then I got a little older, a stranger vomited on my shoes at a bar (true story) and I came to view St. Patrick's Day with the same disgust I hold for New Year's Eve. Piffle! Who wants to be out with the masses for amateur hour at the bar?

This friend and I have known each other since kindergarten. Instead of keeping a shine on the bar with the sleeves of our coats and jigging until we fall over, we took our gaggle of girls to Disney on Ice's Rockin' Ever After. Good time for us? Well, it was something. Good time for the girls? They're probably still smiling in their sleep. Many years from now, they'll probably spend St. Patrick's Day the way we did in days gone by, dancing and laughing until side-stepping the vomit becomes too much. I hope we're helping them build the kind of dear friendships that will take them through the all the ages and stages of their lives.

Welcome aboard the Mothership!

I wrote this for my friend's baby shower card and then I decided I might want to refer back to it some day, so here it is. Yes, sometimes I do sappy. Don't look so surprised!

It's the hardest job you'll ever have. The hours are long and the pay is shit. And speaking of shit, you'll spend a lot of time up to your elbows in it. Some days you'll ask yourself "What the hell have I done?"

And the answer is:
You have done something amazing.

The first smile will take hold of your heart forever. The first laugh will give it a squeeze. The first time you hear "I love you, Mommy!" you'll want to hit pause and stay in that moment forever. You can't, but that's OK because it's just one of many moments that will take your breath away.

Welcome aboard this crazy train, my friend. You're in for the ride of your life!